


Cabeceo

by Lotuspadawan



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Argentine Tango, F/M, Rating May Change, Slow Burn, Spanish-speaking Kylo, Spanish-speaking Poe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-15
Updated: 2018-08-25
Packaged: 2019-03-31 09:19:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 20,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13971993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lotuspadawan/pseuds/Lotuspadawan
Summary: Cabeceo (ca-beh-ceh-oh): a castellano word referring to a nod of the head. This accepts a non-verbal invitation to dance Argentine tango; The practice originated in Buenos Aires. Cabeceo is especially useful on a crowded dance floor. The leader (typically male) makes eye contact with a follower (typically female), holding her gaze. If the follower looks away, the invitation to dance is rejected. If the follower maintains eye contact, nods, or raises an eyebrow, the leader then walks up to the follower, and offers his arm.Rey, a mechanical engineering student, attends an Argentine tango class with Finn. She becomes entranced both by the dance and with one of the instructors, Kylo Ren.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A huge thank you to TehanuFromEarthsea for beta-reading for me! This is my first time playing with Star Wars characters, so I hope that you all enjoy.

 

Adjusting the worn backpack strap on her left shoulder, Rey sighed as she exited Erso Hall, the engineering building of Coruscant University. The beginning of the school year always brought the same sense of anticipation, the excitement of learning new material coupled with the anxiety of “oh my god what was I thinking?” while reading the syllabus for each class. Last year, Rey’s semesters had been filled with chemistry and physics courses and Introduction to Engineering Science, which had been challenging, but doable. This year, however, would make or break her.

A breeze eased the stifling humidity of late August, stirring Rey’s flyaways. Her chestnut hair was in its usual triplet bun, but the oppressive southern heat held no quarter for anyone. Cicada song waned as the wind stopped, the leaves of nearby trees seeming to wilt in the noon sun. Rey lifted a hand to her brow, shading her eyes, searching for a familiar raven ponytail in the sea of college students fleeing toward the Endor Student Center for lunch.

“Hey!”

Rey turned, recognizing her friend’s voice. “Rose, hi!” She excitedly greeted the stocky girl coming up beside her. Rose moved through the crowd confidently, her lips already showcasing her infectious smile. The two gave each other a quick hug. Rey was already starting to sweat, and she had only been waiting for less than a minute.

“Oh my gosh, are you as overwhelmed as I am?” Rose asked as they joined the students streaming onto the sidewalk.

“Probably more so than you are,” Rey replied. “Your sister is a mechanic. You’ve been around machines for years.”

Rose scoffed. “Says the person accepted to Coruscant by building a solar powered engine from scrap,” she said, rolling her eyes.

 “That was luck,” Rey said, ducking her head to the side, her cheeks pink. She was always embarrassed to share how she, an English orphan, ended up in America by building an engine with the help of technical manuals, the internet, and sheer determination. She had submitted her engine to her school’s science fair, and not only won, but also gained the attention of the BBC and various engineering schools around the world. In the end, she chose Coruscant simply because it wasn’t England.

“Luck and brains,” Rose replied, holding open the door to the student center. Both women sighed as the air conditioning enveloped them. “Is Finn out of class? I can’t remember if he said he was done at twelve or twelve thirty.”

The scent of so many foods made Rey’s stomach rumble. “Honestly, I don’t know. But I’m not waiting for him.” She eyed their options. The display in front of the cafeteria showed gyros, but always offered salad, fruit, pasta, pizza, and sandwiches. The opposite end of ESC had typical fast food choices. Rey’s freshman year, she had been overwhelmed by the sheer variety of food available to her with the swipe of her meal card. Growing up in an orphanage, then a foster home, meant eating what was placed in front of you at the table. It had taken her a few months to adjust to such freedom. “Fresh Foods? Or something else?”

Her companion laughed, looking around as well. “Fresh is fine. I’ll just text Finn that we’re in line, and we’ll save a seat for him when he’s done.”

“Excellent.”

Rose and Rey swiped their cards at the entrance and sat alongside the floor to ceiling windows overlooking the campus’s lush south lawn, Rey with a gyro salad, Rose with chicken pesto.

“I’m not so sure how I’m going to balance sixteen credit hours and a part time job at the same time,” Rey mused, poking a piece of lettuce with her fork. “It doesn’t sound like a lot, but I can’t afford to drop below a 3.2 GPA to keep my scholarship.”

“I’m in the same boat, chica,” Rose replied, wiping her mouth with a napkin. “At least you work on campus. And you don’t have the added pressure of working for a sibling. It’s like having an overbearing boss, but you can’t quit.”

A jealous thought flashed through her before she squashed it. _At least you have a sibling_ , Rey wanted to comment. She liked Paige. Paige gained legal custody of Rose at eighteen after several years in the foster system together. It couldn’t have been easy raising a sibling after their parents died in a car accident, convincing the courts to keep the sisters together, relying on her experience helping in their parents’ shop to financially support the two of them. Paige had dreams of joining the Air Force and becoming a pilot. Instead she worked long hours as the only female mechanic in their parents’ former garage, allowing her younger sister to attend college.

Rey bit back her feelings and speared a banana pepper. “What _is_ it like, working for Paige?”

“No different than being raised by her, I suppose,” Rose chuckled. She checked her phone for a message from Finn, texting him that they were sitting in the back of the cafeteria. “She’s a perfectionist. Everything has to be just so. But I guess that’s what happens when you have to grow up quickly.”

Rey pushed a tomato around her bowl. “You’re lucky to have each other,” she said.

Rose smiled. “We are,” she said quietly. Rose pushed her plate away from her, drumming her fingers awkwardly. “It has to be hard being so far from Maz.”

Maz Kanata was Rey’s last foster parent before she was accepted to Coruscant University. The diminutive, yet fiery woman had helped Rey with her paperwork applying for a student visa and passport. Without Maz, Rey would still be in England, probably working in Lor San Tekka’s scrapyard, and definitely not in a prestigious university on the other side of the Atlantic.

“It was nice to see her, even if it was only for a few weeks,” Rey replied, studying her salad. She had returned from England a week before classes started, loaded down with enough Jaffa Cakes and other hard-to-find British snacks to last until winter break, when Maz would send a care package filled to the brim with reminders of home.

“Tell her thank you for the cookies,” Rose said.

“Biscuits,” Rey corrected.

“You know what I meant.”

“Mmm.”

A figure landed in the vacant chair next to Rey, flustered. “Oh my god, I’m starving,” Finn moaned. Rey smiled widely and went to hug her friend, but Finn held up a hand, looking uncomfortable. “I just walked from the top of the hill. You don’t want to hug this. I’m pretty gross right now.”

“It’s so hot outside,” Rose agreed. “I think the high is supposed to be ninety-five. It’s insane.”

Rey mentally calculated the conversion. Thirty-five degrees centigrade. While she had lived in the States for a year, she still felt like she couldn’t quite grasp what people were saying when they used Fahrenheit or miles. Rose and she held many debates about the superiority of the metric system.

“Why didn’t you get your food?” she asked, looking at Finn.

“In a minute, I’m cooling off.” Finn had his eyes closed, leaning his chair back on two legs. Someone suddenly bumped into him, sending Finn flying forward.

“So sorry!” exclaimed a handsome curly-haired man. A light smattering of grey flecked his black hair. “I didn’t see you there. My apologies,” he said, placing a steadying hand on Finn’s shoulder. Finn glanced back at him and froze, looking dumbstruck.

“No problem,” Finn replied faintly.

“Dr. Dameron! Nice to see you again!” Rey greeted, grinning at her distracted friend.

“Miss Kenobi! And Miss Tico as well, good to see you both.” Poe Dameron was their physics professor from the previous semester. The three of them saw a lot of each other, with freshmen engineering students required to take General Physics I with a lab attached. His Spanish accent was slightly stronger than the last time Rey saw her professor. _He must have just returned from Argentina_ , Rey thought. “I trust you all had a good summer break?” His hand was still on Finn’s shoulder. Rey and Rose shared a look.

“Yes, professor,” they chorused, Finn slightly breathlessly.

“Who is your friend?” Rey asked, nodding to an imposing dark-haired figure standing beside Poe. His companion was attractive, in a non-traditional sense. While Poe was athletically built, reminding her of one of her favorite Arsenal players, the other man looked more like a swimmer. His well-defined arms were crossed over his broad chest. A deep scar marred his right cheek. At being mentioned, his eyes narrowed slightly, his full lips thinning.

“This is B-Kylo Ren, he’s teaching Latin American Politics this semester.” He glanced at the other man. “He also happens to be a childhood friend,” Poe said. He seemed to remember that he was still touching Finn’s shoulder, and dropped his hand. Finn looked distressed at the loss.

Kylo shot Poe a look at the stumble of his name before his eyes landed on Finn. “Mister Tuon is in my class, incidentally. Small world,” he said, his voice a low rumble. His accent was American, which confused Rey. When exactly had Poe and Kylo met as children?

“Or small campus,” Poe agreed. “Sorry again for bumping into you, Mister Tuon.”

“Finn,” he said, holding out his palm. “Please call me Finn.”

Poe grasped the offered hand firmly. “Finn, then.” He let go and flashed a smile at the group, coffee brown eyes twinkling. He threw Finn a wink. “I’m sorry to interrupt your lunch. I’ll see you both tomorrow for class?” he asked the two women. They nodded. “I hope that all of you have a good rest of your day. And welcome back.” The two teachers walked away from their table toward the exit.

Finn waited a full five seconds after they left before he exhaled loudly. “Oh my gosh, you guys never told me you had such a hottie for a teacher!” he accused, glaring at his roommates.

Rose held up her hands in surrender. “He never seemed interested in any of the girls, so I forgot.” She paused. “Oh.” And gasped. “Oh! It all makes sense now.”

“That’s even worse!” Finn exclaimed. “Some friends you are.”

“Don’t look at me,” Rey said defensively. “I was too busy trying not to fail.”

“As I recall, you got an A in that class,” Finn said.

“Like I said, I was busy.”

“Whatever,” Finn muttered under his breath. “I’m going to get food. I’ll be right back.”

As he trudged away, Rose and Rey grinned at each other.

“Finn and Dr. Dameron?” Rey wondered.

“He’s pretty easy on the eyes,” Rose agreed. “And that smile.” Both girls sighed dreamily. “How old do you think he is?”

“I don’t think he can be older than his mid-thirties,” Rey guessed. “And Finn is three years older than us. So, there you go.”

“What did you think of his friend, Kylo?”

Rey bit her lip, brow furrowed. “He seemed annoyed that he had to talk to us.”

Rose nodded. “He did, a little bit. Do you think he’s Argentine also?”

“No, his accent is American. I thought Dr. Dameron has only been in the States for four years?”

“Exchange student, maybe?” Rose suggested.

“It’s possible,” Rey concluded.

Finn returned a few minutes later with a pizza and salad.

“Finnegan Tuon, that is not a salad,” Rose scolded.

“What?” Finn cried. “There’s lettuce! It’s a salad!”

“Finn, it’s ninety-five percent bacon bits,” Rey stated.

The man covered his bowl with his hands. “Stop judging me. I had to walk half a mile in ninety degree heat, and my best friends hid _the man of my dreams_ from me, so y’all can just quit,” he groused, his Mississippi accent prominent, reminding her for a moment of Scarlett and Rhett.

“Ooh, he’s mad,” Rey stated.

“Damn straight I’m mad,” Finn huffed, before biting into his pepperoni and banana pepper pizza.

Rose made a face. “I don’t understand how you both like banana peppers.”

“Because they’re delicious,” said Finn and Rey in unison.

“They’re spicy.”

“I think you might be more British than I am,” Rey said. “They’re not spicy.”

The friends quibbled back and forth over capsaicin and Scoville units until Finn finished his lunch. The threesome left the cafeteria. Rey started up the stairs to the campus bookstore for her afternoon shift when Finn grabbed her arm.

“Wha-?”

“Look!” Finn said, pointing to a poster on the bulletin board. A flyer with two dancers entwined in an embrace advertised an Argentine tango club meeting. “Thursday evening, seven o’clock, Endor Student Center, conference room 205 A,” he read.

“Okay?” Rey still had no idea what caught Finn’s attention on the flyer. “And?”

Finn tapped the bottom of the paper. “Your physics professor said his name is Poe Dameron, right? He’s leading the group. And so is Kylo Ren.”

Rose examined the flyer. “Argentine tango? Isn’t it supposed to be all dramatic and flashy?”

Rey immediately imagined a rose between her teeth, her right hand clenched in Finn’s left, her left arm around his back, stalking theatrically across the floor together. She stifled a giggle. “Do you think Dr. Dameron would dance with you, Finn?”

He glanced at Rey, his expression hurt. His hand dropped back to his side. “Nevermind, it’s a stupid idea.”

Rey placed a gentle hand on Finn’s arm. “No, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.” She studied the flyer. The two dancers were facing one other, each with a leg extended out behind them, knees bent, gazing deeply into each other’s eyes. She was pretty sure the picture was from a dancing movie that came out several years ago, of a high school teacher using ballroom dancing to help his students focus in the classroom. Or something. “If you want to go, we’ll go. Who knows, it might be fun.”

Finn’s gazed stayed on the ground.

Rey hugged him. “I didn’t mean to upset you, Peanut.”

Finn gradually relaxed into Rey’s arms, returning her hug. “It’s okay,” he said softly.

“No, it’s not okay. We’ll go on Thursday, and we’ll dance our arses off.”

“I can’t go, I work Thursday night,” Rose said, reluctantly.

“Finn,” Rey said, poking him in the side until he squirmed. “We’re going, and that’s final.”

“Alright,” Finn laughed, smacking Rey’s hand away. “We’re going.”

Rey nodded. “Good.”

She waved goodbye and made her way up the stairs to the bookstore. Rey had never danced a day in her life. She’d been out clubbing before, but has never taken a formal dance class, let alone something as intense as tango. But if it made Finn happy, she would do it, she decided. Finn completed their trio of Misfit Toys; he was also a foster child, from a deeply religious foster family, and it had taken nearly the entire year for Finn to acknowledge to Rey and Rose that he was gay. He and Rey met at the scholarship office her freshman year, laughing as they finally got to meet face-to-face after months of e-mails back and forth regarding her mountains of paperwork. They hit it off even better in person, and when Rey’s dorm situation was driving her insane (read: her roommate liked to invite boys to their room, every night, regardless of whether or not she was there), Finn offered his three bedroom rental house. His previous roommates were moving out to live with their fraternity brothers (good riddance), and he needed help with the rent. Rey had made fast friends with Rose during orientation, and the two of them moved in with Finn two weeks after classes started.

Rey nodded at a student browsing the pens and highlighters, flipping up the countertop separating the registers from the store before closing it behind her. _Yes_ , she thought. _I’ll take a stupid dance class if it means Finn is happy_. He’s offered her so much already: his house, his car (he chauffeured Rey if the need arose), his friendship. It’s the least she could do in return. She just wondered if it would be weird with Dr. Dameron being her dance teacher as well as her physics professor. Not to mention that the mysterious Kylo Ren would be teaching it as well. Rey tried to picture him dancing as she put on her red University Bookstore apron, straightening her nametag on her chest. She imagined he positively prowled across the floor, moving like a massive jungle cat. The thought sent a tingle down her spine. _It’ll be fine_ , she decided. _It’s just dancing. How hard could it be?_


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for your kudos and comments! I'm putting together a [playlist](https://open.spotify.com/user/laura.nuestro/playlist/63CKDP49iVELUAvK8JbKWw) on Spotify so that you can listen along. I have the songs in groups of three; while I may not introduce or mention all three songs, I'm trying to stay true to the tradition of a tanda, where a set of three or four songs of the same style are grouped together as a set to dance to. This chapter gets a little technical at times, but I hope that I made it clear enough to follow along.
> 
> Traditional tango tanda:  
> Pregonera – Julio Martel Y Carlos Dante  
> A la Gran Muñeca - Carlos Di Sarli  
> A Media Luz – Francisco Curto
> 
> Non-traditional tanda:  
> Back To Black – Amy Winehouse  
> Bust Your Windows – Glee Cast  
> The Big Bang – Katy Tiz
> 
> Again, thank you to [TehanuFromEarthsea](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TehanuFromEarthsea/pseuds/TehanuFromEarthsea) for beta-reading for me! And also thank you to Cris Huelsz and my friend Lilo for the Spanish translations.

 

 

As it turned out, dancing was a lot harder than it looked.

Her day began by oversleeping, waking only because of Rose’s frantic knocking on her bedroom door. Rey and Finn had stayed up late binge-watching all the dance movies they could stream before passing out on the couch at two in the morning. She must have made her way back to her room sometime in the middle of the night. Rey had only enough time to throw on the first tee shirt her fingers touched, jeans that she was mostly sure were still clean, her Vans, and grab a piece of toast before meeting Rose at the door to walk to class.

Not only did Rey have to fix her hair while walking and eating toast, sleep lines etched onto her right cheek and down her arm, but she also couldn’t have her morning cup of Earl Grey with milk and honey. Which meant that she started to doze off in Multivariable Calculus, waking suddenly when her head dipped forward, earning a glare from her professor. She quickly scrambled to finish the problem written on the board before it was erased.

In General Physics II, she was so preoccupied that she missed an easy calculation, leading Dr. Dameron to blink confusedly at Rey before silently rubbing away her chalk with his finger and writing the correct answer on top of the smudge. She stared at the board, mouth agape, before she closed her eyes in defeat. Rey wished a sinkhole would open up and swallow her whole. She blushed furiously before returning to her seat.

After her shift at the bookstore, Rey had to literally run back to the house for a pair of heels she forgot to place in her backpack before racing back to ESC for the tango club meeting. She had been two doors down from the conference room where the tango club was to meet when she was at the bookstore. But the flyer had recommended that women wear either dance shoes or a low-heeled shoe. Rey was wearing neither. As a result, she made the long detour back to her house.

Rey snuck into the class, flushed and sweaty, changing her sneakers for the slightly too small black heels she hadn’t worn in years. Meanwhile, everyone else had found a partner. She hadn’t had enough time to change her outfit from that day. Most of the women were dressed nicely in fitted dresses or flowing skirts, though Rey was relieved to see that a few were also wearing jeans.

Finn glanced apologetically at Rey. He was already paired off with a lanky, toe-headed girl with a severe case of Resting Bitch Face. Poe was making his way around to each of the couples, adjusting their hand and arm positions. Rey looked around helplessly for someone who had no dance partner, spying a sturdy, brown-haired boy leaning casually against the wall. He had his arms crossed, observing the room. Kylo was seated near him, one earbud in, typing away on a laptop. A set of stereo speakers sat beside him.

Rey’s heels clacked on the linoleum as she made her way toward the boy, the strap of her shoes pinching her ankles distractingly. She stopped in front of him.

“Are you available?” Rey asked.

Blue eyes widened before the boy grinned. “Available as in do I need a partner, or as in am I single?”

She heard the typing suddenly stop.

Rey frowned. “Do you need a partner, I mean. Obviously.”

He reached out, taking Rey’s right hand, drawing her closer to him. She stiffened initially but allowed it.

“I didn’t think your question was that obvious,” he stated, sliding his arm around Rey, resting his hand on her shoulder blade. Rey cautiously placed her left hand on his shoulder. “I’m Reeve, by the way.” His longer brown hair fell nearly to his eyes. She thought he looked scruffy.

“Rey,” she said simply.

“Pleased to meet you, Rey,” Reeve said, his lips tilted in a smirk.

“Likewise,” Rey mumbled.

Poe Dameron clapped sharply. “Now,” he said, surveying the group ringing the room, “the next step in tango is the walk. If you cannot walk together, you cannot dance together. Leaders, step forward starting with your right foot, and followers, step backward with your left foot.

“It’s not like normal walking,” Poe interrupted, as a few couples started to sway. “Leaders, you want to lead with your chest, almost like falling forward. Followers, extend your leg back, then your body moves to join it. It will look like this. Jessika,” he said, holding his hand out toward one of the couples next to Finn. A slender brunette detached herself from her partner and walked smoothly toward Poe.

 Rey watched her with a twinge of envy. _I wish I were that graceful_ , she thought.

Poe held Jessika closely, her body tucked into the crook of his arm, her face next to his. His right arm was wrapped almost completely around Jessika’s back, holding her gently but firmly, and she held him just as closely. Their free hands were clasped, held around eye level. They stilled, and seemed to take a breath together, before Poe led Jessika to take long, gliding steps backward, his stride just as measured.

“How is he not stamping on her feet?” Rey asked.

“Practice,” Reeve answered smartly.

Rey rolled her eyes. “Thanks for that,” she grumbled.

The duo made a lap of the room to ensure that everyone had observed them before pausing in the middle of the floor. Poe released Jessika, and taking a step back, placed a kiss on her right hand before letting her go. Rey scrunched her nose at the gesture.

Poe looked at his students. “Does anyone have any questions before we begin?”

“Excuse me,” a student asked. He looked quickly at his partner. She towered over him, her face seemingly made of stone. She looked like an Amazon. He paled as her knuckles cracked intimidatingly. “Do we have to dance that closely?”

“You don’t have to be that close to your partner if you’re not comfortable with it,” Poe said. “That was what is called the close embrace. What most of you are doing now is called open embrace. It’s completely up to you how closely you want to dance with your partner.” An audible sigh of relief went through the room.

Poe glanced at Kylo and signaled to him. With the click of a few buttons, a playful melody started piping through the speakers beside Kylo’s laptop. The instrument sounded like the cross between an organ and an accordion. A piano and violin soon joined in.

“Common dancefloor etiquette states that the flow of dance is counter-clockwise, so if all the leaders could kindly face that direction,” Poe said, and waited for everyone to adjust their stance. “Now, I want all of you to walk to this rhythm. Repeat after me. T, a, n-g-o. T, a, n-g-o.”

Reeve moved forward suddenly, and Rey followed hastily, scrambling backward.

It was like trying to hold back an avalanche.

She tried her best to stay in sync with her partner, but Reeve was hard to read. She chanted in her head to stay on beat with the song but stumbled on his shoe every few steps while being shoved further around the room. Her heels slid awkwardly on the linoleum. Others were reciting softly “t, a, n-g-o” as they moved, seemingly with no issue. Even Finn was navigating the floor smoothly. She felt so at odds with the cheerful song playing in the background. Frustration built in her chest. “Must you be so rough?” Rey snarled, her eyes flashing.

 “Maybe you just have no rhythm,” Reeve snapped, brows furrowed in concentration.

Rey looked up and saw Kylo watching them from his seat, his expression closed off, fingers on his chin, studying. She briefly wondered what he saw. Did she look ridiculous? Could he tell that she was struggling? A foot crushed her toes; Rey hissed. “Stop, I’m done. I’ve had enough,” she said, shoving herself away from her partner.

“If you would pay attention, I wouldn’t have stepped on your foot!” Reeve exclaimed vehemently as Kylo set down his laptop and approached them.

The dancers behind Rey and Reeve warily bypassed them, giving them wide berth. A few curious couples gawked at them. Finn appeared torn between interjecting between Rey and Reeve or letting her handle the situation herself. Rey roughly wiped her palms on the thigh of her jeans, her face burning. Her palms always sweated when stressed.

Kylo appeared beside them. He took Reeve’s arms and forced them into position. “Your frame is weak,” Kylo noted. “You can’t communicate that you want her to move. Here,” he said, pointing to Reeve’s elbow, which was situated next to his ribs. “Your arm is too far back.” He grasped Reeve’s left elbow firmly and brought it forward. “Strengthen your frame, let her know with your chest and your shoulder what you want her to do.”

Reeve fumed but allowed Kylo to adjust him. “Like this?” he bit out.

The man nodded. “Let’s see,” he said, stepping back.

Reeve took Rey’s hand once more, pulling her to him.

Rey chafed at how she was being handled. “Not like that, I’m not dancing with you,” she said, disentangling from him, irritated.

Her partner threw his hands up in exasperation. “I give up. How are we supposed to dance without touching you?”

Looking at Rey, Kylo came toward her and held out his hand. “Miss Kenobi,” he intoned, gaze intense, irises the color of dark honey.

She glanced between the two men. Reeve’s nostrils flared at the intrusion. Swallowing nervously, Rey accepted, placing her hand in Kylo’s. His long fingers engulfed her own.

Kylo drew her to him. His right arm slid around Rey, nestling her against him. Rey froze, her torso flush with Kylo’s. She could feel her pulse quicken. Her eyelashes practically caressed his jaw, which was shadowed with a hint of stubble. She suddenly felt like the room was too warm.

She could tell immediately the difference from Reeve's frame.  Kylo’s left arm was firm, holding her solidly in place. The arm circling around her back was protective. She felt safe. Like she was certain that he wouldn't allow anything to happen to her. It didn’t hurt that Kylo was built, either, she thought appreciatively. Rey could feel the muscles of his upper back through his button-up. She was sorely tempted to touch his hair. It shone like strands of midnight silk.

Kylo inhaled slowly, deeply; Rey mimicked him. His cologne reminded her of a spring thunderstorm; she imagined a cool breeze and dark clouds. Kylo’s shoulders lifted subtly, and with a breath, they moved as one.

Where Reeve had been an avalanche, Kylo was like riding an ocean wave. The current of his movement carried her along, smoothly but steadily. Slow, slow, quick quick slow. The room echoed with the cadence of their march. Rey silently mouthed the letters to the beat, watching her feet through the slight gap between their bodies. She heard a soft huff from Kylo, glancing up in time to see his mouth twitch upward before she felt a surge of energy in their walk.  

Immediately, Rey lengthened her stride. They wove their way around several couples, bypassing them with their longer gait. They were almost back to Reeve when she felt Kylo’s arm around her tense, causing her to hesitate. He stepped back, bringing her with him. Rey rocked forward to follow his momentum. But as soon as she changed her weight, she felt resistance in his chest and arm, and she took a step backward as he advanced.

“Oh,” she breathed, amazed at the synchronicity.

She noticed the look of approval on Kylo's face. “That was _la cadencia_ , or a rock step,” he murmured close to her ear. “You did great.” His breath tickled her cheek and she shivered.

They returned to Reeve, and Kylo withdrew from Rey, handing her over to her former partner. Reeve glowered at Kylo while reluctantly accepting Rey's hand, avoiding her eyes.

“Strengthen your frame,” was all Kylo reiterated before he retreated to his laptop.

A new song came on, with a strong tempo of violins.

“Change partners!” Poe called out.

Rey and Reeve glanced at each other before abruptly dropping their joined hands.

She sought out Finn, who was already making his way over to her. “Thank god,” Rey said as they met up.

Finn gave her a hug. “I'm sorry you were having such a bad time,” he said as he looked her over. “Are you okay?”

Rey inclined her head. “Better now that I don’t have to dance with Mr. Grabby over there,” she said, eying Reeve, who was partnered with a girl who appeared more tolerant of his handling.

Her friend took her hands gently and positioned their arms. “You missed the very beginning,” Finn said, starting to lead her around the floor. “We had to hug each other.”

“What?” Rey laughed, disbelieving. “Really?”

Finn nodded solemnly. “It was to ‘establish a connection’ or so Poe says.”

“And did it work?”

“I think it was so awkward it actually did,” he chuckled, white teeth showing.

Mentally she compared Finn’s leading style to Kylo’s. He was more exaggerated in his movements, but he was very easy for Rey to read. He mixed taking smaller and bigger steps, literally keeping Rey on her toes. His playfulness made her giggle. She could do this, she thought. As long as she didn’t have to dance with anyone like Reeve.

The music stopped after the second song. Rey and Finn stayed next to each other, waiting for their next instruction.

“Okay,” Poe said, rubbing his hands together, an eager grin on his lips. “Now we’re going to teach you the eight step basic. This is the basis of Argentine tango. Everything else you learn after this, stems from the _basico_. This is, admittedly, the hardest part of learning tango. But once you have it, you can add embellishments, turns, cuts, anything you want to make the dance suit the music.”

“This sounds more like a dish than a dance,” Rey said under her breath. Finn lightly smacked the back of her arm, not even looking in her direction. Rey instantly smacked him back.

“Leaders, I want you to come to this side of the room with me, and followers, find Jessika, and she will teach you your steps,” Poe said.

Rey waggled her fingers at Finn before joining the rest of the women on the opposite side of the room.

Jessika smiled at them, eyes sparkling with excitement. “Alright, ladies,” she said, surveying her students. “Most of our movement will be backwards. It does take some getting used to, especially in heels. But once you master it, the _basico_ becomes second nature.”

She turned so that her back was facing the group and held her arms in position around an invisible partner. “Our first step, however, will be forward. We’ll start with our feet together, toes apart, and shift our weight to the right leg.” A pause. “We then step forward with our left leg, one, step out with your right leg, two, and put your weight back on your right.” Jessika waited while everyone followed her instructions. Rey watched Jessika’s feet closely.

“Next, you’re going to brush your left leg together with your right, but step directly back on it for three. Step back with your right leg for four, and cross your left foot in front of your right foot for five, _la cruzada_.”

 _Oh god, what_? Rey thought frantically as she tried not to trip over her own feet. _This is basic_?

“Your weight is still on your left foot, so you’re going to step back with your right for six, step to the side with your left foot for seven, and feet together for eight.”

Rey followed along clumsily. “What the fuck,” she muttered aloud.  A girl next to Rey glanced at her and the two shared a commiserating look.

“Let’s do that again, but slowly.”

They repeated the steps as a group, and Rey succeeded in not falling on her face. She counted that as a victory. _Finn owes me big time_ , she thought. Cooking dinner for a whole month sounded like fair penitence.

“Again.”

Rey’s feet were killing her. She felt a few blisters beginning to form behind her ankles. She stepped and brushed and crossed and stepped until Jessika was satisfied they were as close as they could be to error free.

Jessika beamed at the group. Rey thought dark thoughts about where Jessika could put her smile. Looking over at the men, Jessika determined they were through with their part of the lesson. “Now find a partner, and we’ll practice the _basico_ a few times before we call it a night.”

Rey made her way back toward Finn but saw that he had already been claimed by a curly haired blonde. Rey cursed. She was sure she had read somewhere that it was considered improper to turn down an offer to dance while at a lesson. Rey then saw that Reeve was giving her the side eye. _Nope_ , she thought furiously.

Desperation was what made Rey ask Kylo to dance. She strode toward him determinedly. He was still sitting in his same chair, looking through the laptop, when she came to a stop in front of him. A few seconds passed before he looked up at her, honey brown eyes widening slightly in surprise.

“Will you dance with me?” she asked, trying not to sound too pleading.

A beat passed before he clicked something on the screen, then stood up, setting the laptop down on his now vacant chair.

A familiar piano phrase started playing.

“Of course,” Kylo replied, holding his hand out for Rey’s.

“Wait,” she said, tilting her head, listening. “Is this Amy Winehouse?” she asked incredulously.

A small smile graced his lips. “According to Poe, it’s tangoable,” he said. Kylo still had his hand out, waiting. He quirked an eyebrow.

Rey gasped out “Sorry,” and belatedly placed her hand in his. Once more, he gathered her in, making her feel small in his embrace.

Together they stilled. A breath in deeply, a breath out, and they danced.

With Kylo’s guidance, they completed a few cycles of the _basico_. Rey admitted to herself that it wasn’t so bad, dancing. Or more specifically, dancing with Kylo. He was a good leader. The energy between them flowed easily. She almost felt like she could anticipate what he wanted her to do. Although, she reminded herself, they were only covering the _basico_ over and over again. 

“Do you get hangry frequently?” Kylo asked, interrupting her thoughts.

“What?” she said distractedly. Step back right, left, cross.

“Your shirt,” he said, nodding toward her chest. “It says, ‘Sorry for the things I say when I’m hungry’.”

“Gods, I forgot what shirt I was wearing,” she said, cheeks glowing. “I overslept, so it was the first one I grabbed this morning.”

“I like it,” Kylo said. “It’s honest.”

A genuine smile broke out on Rey’s face. “I guess it is, isn’t it?” They completed another _basico_. “I do, by the way. Get hangry.”

“Most people do to an extent,” he mused. “I’m guilty of it as well.”

She studied the scar on his cheek. It made him seem intimidating at first glance but talking with Kylo was a pleasant surprise. He was quiet, but Rey found that she wanted to get to know him better.

The song ended, and Rey went to step away from Kylo.

“Stay with your current partner,” Poe called out, paired with Jessika. “In Argentine tango, a set of three or four songs is called a _tanda_. Typically, you finish out a _tanda_ before switching partners.”

“Is that for real? Or is he just saying that, so he can keep dancing with Jessika?” Rey asked wryly.

Kylo’s mouth twitched. “It’s true. Looks like you’re stuck with me.”

“I think I’m okay with that,” Rey said.

“Good,” Kylo murmured. She could have sworn he was studying her lips.

Rey felt slightly dizzy with the thought.

They started dancing again, but Rey’s feet made themselves noticeable. She winced.

“Next time, wear comfortable shoes,” Kylo said. “You don’t have to wear heels. It’s traditional, but not required.”

“It’s why I was late,” she said. “I forgot to bring them with me, so I had to go back and get them.”

“I was wondering where you were, when I saw your friend without you,” he said, gesturing at Finn, who was leading his blonde partner admirably.

She stepped to the cross and bit her lip, ankles stinging.

“We can stop,” Kylo said, concern in his eyes.

“I think I may have to,” Rey said sadly.

Kylo led her off the dancefloor, Rey walking carefully. She sighed painfully as soon as she sat down, legs splayed in front of her. Kylo sat next to her, his leg touching hers. A small thrill passed through her.

“I’m almost afraid to see the damage,” she said, eying her heels.

“How long is your walk home?” Kylo asked.

“About ten minutes.” Rey paused. “Wait, how did you know I didn’t drive here?” she asked, skeptical.

Kylo raised an eyebrow. “You looked like you had just sprinted around half a mile when you arrived.”

Rey gave a short laugh. “That’s very astute of you.”

He thought for a moment. “Do you want me to drive you home?” Kylo offered hesitantly, carefully watching her reaction.

“Um,” Rey said uneasily, looking at Finn, who was still on the dancefloor. “Only if you’re okay with bringing Finn too. We live together.”

Kylo froze for a split second. “Oh. I apologize,” he said quickly, pulling away, sitting straighter in his chair, schooling his face to a neutral expression.

“It’s not like that,” Rey interjected, missing the warmth of his leg against hers. “We’re roommates.”

Before Kylo could say anything else, Poe came over to the two of them.

“Is everything okay?” he inquired.

“Yes sir,” Rey said automatically to her physics professor. “It’s my shoes, I’m pretty sure I have blisters.”

Poe looked at Kylo and said something to him in rapid Spanish. “¿ _Crees que alguien pueda prestarle unos zapatos_?”

Rey started, belatedly recalling that the two had been friends since childhood. Of course, Kylo would know Spanish.

Kylo replied just as quickly, looking annoyed. “¿ _Y yo porqué debería de saber_? _Tu ve y pregunta_.”

Poe nodded once. “I suppose that would be easiest,” he concluded, in English. To Rey he asked, “What size shoe do you wear? We can see if someone can lend you a pair of dance shoes for next time.”

“Oh,” she said, surprised. “I wear a seven and a half or an eight, depending on the brand.”

“We can ask around,” Poe said. “Otherwise we were thinking of having a shoe fitting for everyone, so we can get a group discount on an order.”

“¿ _Podemos hablar de esto más tarde_?” Kylo hissed irritably to Poe.

Poe quirked an eyebrow at Kylo before looking at Rey, then back to Kylo. A knowing smile grew on his face. The other man chuckled, winking at Rey, eyes twinkling. “I guess I’ll be off then,” he said with a grin. He traipsed away, a bounce in his step.

Rey narrowed her eyes. “Did you just tell him to leave?” she asked suspiciously.

Kylo shrugged, avoiding her gaze. “Would you believe me if I said no?” he replied, looking out at the dancers.

Rey was left slightly confused by Kylo’s moodiness. She said nothing, bending over to change her shoes. She grimaced as she undid the strap, the back of her ankle burning. The shoes had rubbed her raw, taking the top few layers of skin. She mentally wondered if they had plasters at home.

“Thank you for rescuing me earlier,” Rey said slowly, slipping on her socks and sneakers.

“Honestly, you seem very capable of rescuing yourself,” Kylo admitted, observing the way her fingers deftly tied her laces. “His form bothered me.”

Rey hid a smile, ducking her head. “Did it, now?” She tied her other shoe.

Kylo sighed heavily before standing up. “I suppose I should make myself useful and critique everyone’s dancing.” He turned to face Rey once more. “It was a pleasure, Miss Kenobi.”

She watched his face as he seemed to draw his professionalism around him like a cloak. She was intrigued by him. She felt a connection to him while they were dancing. It might have been fleeting, but it was there. And Rey wanted to know more about it, if it was simply the dance, or if it was her partner.

“Rey,” she said. “My name is Rey.”

The corners of his eyes softened. “Rey,” he repeated languidly. “You can call me Kylo.”

“Kylo,” she said, rolling his name around on her tongue. “Thank you again for the dance.”

He tilted his head in acknowledgement. “ _Con gusto_ ,” he said with a hint of a smile.

The song ended, and Rey watched Kylo walk toward a couple. He said something to the follower as another song started, extending his right leg behind him, waiting for her to copy him. He nodded and had them practice briefly before leaving them to their dance.

Rey settled back in her chair when Finn collapsed into the chair Kylo had vacated.

She jumped, startled. “I thought you were supposed to finish the, what’s it called, _tanda_?” she asked her friend.

“I told Heather that I was tired, so that way I could sit next to you,” he said, reaching over to a small bag that was hidden under a nearby table.

Rey spotted Heather on the other side of the room, texting furiously on her phone.

“She doesn’t look very happy.”

He untied his shoelaces, taking off his dress shoes. “Well neither did you, so I figured I needed to make my way over.”

“You didn’t have to, Finn,” Rey insisted. “I stopped because my shoes gave me blisters.”

“Nah, it’s fine,” Finn said. “Really. Heather kept talking while we were dancing, and I kept losing count, and honestly I needed an excuse to not finish the song with her.”

“But now you’re telling everyone you’re done for the night,” Rey said, gesturing to Finn’s shoes. He was putting his high tops back on.

“I did give myself an excuse that was hard to backtrack,” he admitted sheepishly. “Might as well follow through with it.”

The two stood up to leave once Finn was ready and were almost out the door when Poe stopped them.

“Will we see you next week?” he asked the two friends.

Rey looked at Finn. “I don’t remember if we have anything planned,” she said carefully, giving Finn an option to back out if he wanted.

“I’m free next Thursday,” Finn confirmed.

“Okay,” Poe said, roguish grin in place. “Miss Kenobi, I hope that you’ll be able to join us. Otherwise I’ll see you in class.”

“Good night, Dr. Dameron,” Rey said, as Finn replied, “Bye, Poe.”

They exited together, Rey bumping shoulders against Finn. The music could be heard echoing down the hallway.

“So, did you have fun?” Rey asked.

Finn nodded his head. “It was different,” he said. “But I wouldn’t mind coming back.”

“I wouldn’t mind either,” Rey said as they walked down the stairs together.

Finn grinned cheekily at her. “Yeah, I bet you wouldn’t mind dancing with Kylo again.”

Rey squawked indignantly. “He rescued me from Reeve, excuse you.”

“Mmhmm, and the second time?”

“You were already with Heather, and Reeve was available, but I wasn’t about to dance with _him_ again,” Rey explained.

“It just sounds convenient, is all I’m saying,” Finn said as he held the door open for Rey.

“Whatever,” Rey muttered. She swung her shoes from their straps as they made their way back to the house. The moon was a waxing crescent, the humidity of the day still heavy, though tolerable since the sun had set. Crickets and a few frogs chorused in the background. Rey swatted distractedly at a mosquito in front of her face.

“He is cute, you know,” Finn said, his drawstring bag slung behind a shoulder.

“Who, Kylo or Dr. Dameron?”

Finn chuckled. “I mean, both of them, but I was talking about Kylo.”

A train horn sounded off in the distance.

“I wouldn’t necessarily describe him as cute,” Rey confessed.

“Yeah?”

“He’s…” She deliberated for a moment. How would one describe him? “Striking. Handsome, but not in the usual way.”

“You’ve thought about this before, I see,” Finn insinuated, nudging her with an elbow.

“I’m a warm blooded human being, Finn, I can appreciate when someone is attractive,” Rey said defensively.

Finn held his hands up. “I didn’t say you couldn’t. And I told you I think he’s cute.”

“Sorry,” Rey said. “I didn’t mean to snap. I was running late, so I haven’t eaten yet.”

Her friend smirked at her, poking her in the side. “Your shirt,” he said.

Rey laughed. “It was a perfect birthday present, thank you Finn.”

A bass thump could be heard coming from one of the Greek houses down the street. A peal of drunken girlish laughter followed.

“Thirsty Thursday,” Finn said, echoing her thoughts.

Rey snorted. “I mean, I get it. We’re young, it’s college, et cetera. But the thought of rushing never occurred to me,” she said, nodding toward the house.

“Are there fraternities and sororities in England?” Finn asked.

“Some, but it depends on where you go. I’m just not social enough to join.”

Finn put his arm around her shoulder. “It’s okay, we introverts have to stick together.”

They walked companionably back to their house, the bass line fading into the background as they approached their street. A familiar ginger long-haired cat padded down from their porch as they drew near, rolling onto his back and curling into a crescent, paws flexing in the air.

Rey smiled. “Hey, BB,” she greeted the neighborhood cat. “Nice try, but I’m not petting your belly.”

Finn crouched down and scratched BB’s chin. “Butterbean, does she not love you?”

“I do too love you, BB, don’t listen to his lies,” Rey said as the cat flipped to his feet. BB stalked toward Rey and pushed his face against her shin, rubbing his head against her leg. A rumbling purr resounded from BB. “See?” she said, turning to Finn smugly. “He knows I love him.”

“Whatever,” Finn grumbled. “Jambalaya loves me more,” he told BB, speaking of the cat’s calico sister. Their neighbor across the street, originally from Louisiana, owned the two outdoor cats. As to why he named them after food, no one knew.

“Speaking of jambalaya, I’m starving,” Rey said, climbing their porch steps. BB followed as far as the top step, tail flicking impatiently.

“I hope you’re not suggesting we make jambalaya,” Finn said as they entered the house, making sure BB stayed outside. “That takes forever to cook.”

“I think we might have leftovers in the fridge,” Rey said, glancing at her watch. 20:26. Rose should be home soon from work. “Otherwise I’ll settle for a sandwich.”

Rey made her way to her room and flipped on the switch, plopping her shoes down next to her closet. She groaned when she saw her textbooks haphazardly spilled on her bed. She still had about an hour of homework to complete before she could go to bed. And with how late she and Finn had stayed up the night before, she was exhausted.

 _Was it worth it_? she asked herself. If she had gone home straight after work, she would be finished with her homework by now, and probably showered and curled up with a book and some tea. But dancing with Kylo… She thought of his intense eyes and big hands, of his breath tickling her cheek. Today, it was worth it, she decided. However, she wasn’t sure she could keep this up all semester.

But first, food. Rey gave her books one last look before turning off the light to her bedroom, going to join Finn in the kitchen for a quick dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ¿Crees que alguien pueda prestarle unos zapatos? / "Do you think anyone has any shoes that she can borrow?"
> 
> ¿Y yo porqué debería de saber? Tu ve y pregunta / "How should I know? Ask around yourself.”
> 
> ¿Podemos hablar de esto más tarde? / "Can we talk about this later?” 
> 
> Con gusto / With pleasure/you’re welcome
> 
> Here is a [link](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDC475736865FDCDC) for the different steps in Argentine tango. Here's one specifically for the [eight step basic (basico)](https://youtu.be/wvewX55VADs) and the [rock step (la cadencia)](https://youtu.be/kEY4MF4rxcY).
> 
> Thank you for reading! It may be a few weeks before my next update, I'm about to do a 72 hour work week, and it normally takes me a couple days to recoup after working long stretches. But I promise to give you guys an update as soon as I can! Te quiero!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to [TehanuFromEarthsea](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TehanuFromEarthsea/pseuds/TehanuFromEarthsea) for beta reading for me. And a special thanks to duckling_irl for being my Argentine language/slang and cultural reference. I couldn't have done this without you ladies!
> 
> Unfortunately, no tango in this chapter, but I hope that you'll enjoy Kylo's POV.
> 
> I learned that Argentine Spanish is different from Latin American Spanish in that it's conjugated using vosotros, so you would use 'vos' rather than 'tú'. Also the pronunciations are closer to Castilian Spanish than standard Spanish. And there's our cultural lesson for today! (Can you tell I'm a Ravenclaw?)

 

 

Grading was the last thing on Kylo’s mind.

He sat in the cramped political science office, sunlight spilling onto his desk from the window next to him. He shared the office with two other professors, neither of whom preferred grading at nine in the morning on a Saturday. Which is exactly why Kylo was taking advantage of the empty space.

Kylo's mug of coffee was three-fourths empty and cold as he stared absent-mindedly at the trees outside. A couple mockingbirds flitted around the branches, causing shadows to dance on the assignments stacked neatly on the desk. He toyed with his pen absently.

The meeting yesterday with Professor Snoke, the ancient head of the political science department replayed in his head. Kylo had been called into Snoke’s office that afternoon after teaching his last class of the day. Kylo hadn’t thought it was unusual, as he was expecting Snoke to ask him about his doctoral dissertation. The meeting, however, had taken another turn.

The look of derision on the department head’s face was evident. “What is this about you calling yourself Kylo Ren, Mr. Solo?” he sneered. The effect was made worse by the heavy burn scars on his face, stretching the skin around his left cheek grotesquely.

“I don’t understand the problem, sir,” Kylo responded calmly, forcing his expression to remain impassive. He sat ramrod straight in the uncomfortable chair in front of Snoke’s massive monstrosity of a desk. His heart thundered within his chest. He hadn’t anticipated the topic would come up so soon into the academic year.

“The problem,” Snoke said, leaning forward, his hands steepled in front of him, “is that ‘Kylo Ren’ is not the same name listed in the course catalogue under your classes. Nor is it the one listed on your diploma, or outside your office, for that matter. Now, do you care to explain yourself?”

“It’s the name that I go by, sir,” Kylo answered matter-of-fact, hands folded together. He forced himself to relax his grip, not wanting Snoke to see that his knuckles were white with tension. “It has never been an issue with my previous employers.”

“Your previous employers were also not determining whether or not you will receive a doctoral degree,” Snoke hissed out, gripping the arms of his chair. The lighting glinted on his bald head, shadowing his eyes. “This insolence will stop, Mr. Solo. It looks unprofessional, not to mention is confusing to the students and staff when your _legal_ name is on all documents of importance. It makes it look like you have something to hide.” He paused. “Do you have something to hide, Mr. Solo?” he purred, gaze sharp as glass shards.

_You have no idea_ , he thought frantically. “Sir,” Kylo ground out, his teeth clenched. “With all due respect, I fail to see how using an alternate name will affect whether or not I receive a doctorate. As I understand it, that is up to the board when I defend my dissertation.”

“Of which I am a member, Mr. Solo, you’d do well to remember.” Snoke sat back in his chair, the leather creaking with the movement. “I refuse to have your unprofessional decisions reflected back on this department. So, either you will go by your given name, or change it legally. Those are your choices, or your PhD is forfeit.”

The rest of their meeting went over Kylo’s progress on his dissertation, which he had vaguely outlined on his laptop, but had not began writing in earnest. He was dismissed shortly after.

He did indeed have something to hide, Kylo thought to himself, staring blankly at the yet untouched pile of essays. He was twenty-three when he learned through an Argentine newspaper that his maternal grandfather, Anakin Skywalker, was tied to aiding former Nazis in South America in the 1960s, when he was in his late 20s. At the time, Kylo was one year into his graduate studies in political science. And his mother was serving as the American ambassador to Poland; it forced her into an early retirement from her career of diplomacy, with no one wanting someone related to a Nazi sympathizer as their representative.

The information shocked them both. All that he knew of Anakin was that he had been in South America when Leia was born, and never returned to the States after learning that his wife died during childbirth. No one knew if Anakin was aware that Leia had survived. When Leia requested her adoption paperwork when she was nineteen, all that was listed was Anakin’s name, and that he was a researcher in South America. That was also when Leia learned that she had a twin brother.

Kylo secretly wondered if that was the reason why his mother had accepted so many diplomatic assignments in South America.

As for his name, Kylo wanted to distance himself from his roots. He saw firsthand how being linked to a Nazi sympathizer had affected his mother’s career. And his own father was accused of smuggling antiquities from each country they had lived in; he was never convicted, but how much of that was due to bribes or diplomatic immunity, Kylo didn’t know. He didn’t want to risk being connected to Han Solo when he conducted his year of research for his dissertation in Argentina, however, so Kylo Ren was born.

_But is it worth going to court to legally change my name_? he wondered. He didn’t want to risk his PhD, especially with one, possibly two years left on his degree. If he really wanted to, he could finish his dissertation this year and be done with it all – the names, the paranoia that someone would find out about his family’s dirty laundry. But there was also the possibility that because of his family ties that the committee will reject his dissertation.

Glancing once more at the papers patiently waiting to be graded, he pushed back from his desk, his chair protesting loudly with a squeal. He stuffed the essays back into his duffel bag. _I could go_ _for a swim_ , he thought.

Making his way to the campus athletic center, he passed a few students milling about. The day was going to be another hot one, humidity already starting to blanket the air. The morning sun had yet to evaporate the dew from the grass blades, wetting the bottom of his khaki slacks as Kylo cut through the large lawn from the PoliSci building. Being away for a year had made him forget how harsh the summers could be. Kylo longed for the crispness of autumn. He had returned from Argentina with Poe a month prior to the beginning of the semester, where it had been the middle of a mild winter. Being thrown unceremoniously into the midst of a southern summer had been a brutal assault on his body. At least Poe’s house had air conditioning, Kylo thought gratefully.

Swimming helped him to clear his mind. There was something soothing about the repetition of strokes and breaths that helped him to think clearer afterward. The university’s swim team was at an away meet this weekend, leaving the pool vacant as he entered the natatorium minutes later. His bare feet padded softly against the cool concrete. The chlorine brought back memories of mornings that began before the sun rose and struggling into chilly jammers that were still damp from practice the day before.

Kylo set his towel down on a deck chair and made his way to the deep end. He stretched his arms across and back and wiggled out the tension in his shoulders. His skintight knee length shorts clung to his thighs, the snugness familiar. He made sure his swim cap was covering his hair fully; it was longer than it had been eleven years ago, needing to be pulled back into a low tail before tucking it into his cap. Securing his goggles once more, Kylo took a breath and dove forward, switching to butterfly once he surfaced.

It had been several years since Kylo swam competitively for Coruscant. Poe had been the one to encourage him to try out for the team at eighteen, his freshman year. Poe was in Argentina studying for his master’s in physics, and Kylo was yet again in another country with no friends. Kylo had swum for his local club in Argentina as a teenager. It would help him to get back into a familiar routine, Poe had told him. And he might make a few friends along the way. So Kylo had suited up and found his place among the other nervous freshman who made the swim team. He stopped competing once he graduated with his bachelor’s, but he missed the adrenaline of racing.

 Kylo’s hands touched the end of the pool, and he curled, pushing off the wall with his feet, and began to backstroke.

The rhythm of his strokes reminded him of a nuevo tango song he had stuck in his head the day before while working on the next meeting’s playlist. The double bass had a buzzed, dirty sound to it. Over and over the bassline repeated in his head. Which made him think of dancing, which made him think of Rey.

Rey. His best friend’s student. She had felt so small in his arms. And while she was an inexperienced dancer, she was very receptive to his leading. Some followers that he’d danced with felt like moving a refrigerator, they were so resistant to being led. Or his leading style. Yet Rey took to it like a natural. He could tell that she paid close attention to what he signaled to her, based on their two dances together. She would make a terrific _tanguera_ , if she wanted to pursue it further.

Hands touching the wall, Kylo twisted in the water, pushing off with his legs and switched to breaststroke.

Rey was attractive too, he reflected, though he forced his thoughts to stop there. She was easily ten years his junior. He felt slightly indecent remembering the way her hazel eyes lit up when she correctly performed the rock step, and her easy smile. And then she had caught him considering her cupid bow lips.

_She probably thinks I’m a creep_ , he thought disparagingly. What was he thinking, asking her if she wanted a ride home? She had looked uncomfortable after he asked the question. She was just too polite to tell him to his face that he was too old for her. And while she said that Mr. Tuon (Finn, he mentally corrected himself) and her were merely roommates, it was still possible there was more to their relationship.

_I need to cool it_ , he thought to himself as he curled his body up, launching himself into freestyle. _She’s off limits._ Not to mention that she was also a student and he was faculty. He was sure that someone could easily twist it to look like he was using his position to take advantage of her. And he had enough against him regarding his doctorate.

The reason Kylo hadn’t formally changed his name was due to the sheer amount of paperwork he would have to correct to display the name change. He had several published articles, which would probably be the hardest to change to receive credit for the work. Plus, if anyone had really wanted to find Kylo when he was in Argentina (such as the gangs that were out for Han Solo’s blood), they would have just had to look for him at the University of Buenos Aires. Both his passport and student ID read Benjamin Solo, though no one questioned him when he introduced himself as Kylo Ren instead.

He’d have to risk people discovering his family ties, he decided for now. The hassle of presenting a petition to court to change his name wasn’t worth adding more time to his degree. He had already spent one third of his life on tertiary education. (He balked at the realization.) However, if people continued to call him Kylo, he simply wouldn’t correct them.

Kylo emerged from the pool forty minutes later, having completed a total of 3600 meters. His limbs felt heavy as gravity took its hold, muscles burning from use. His swim cap and goggles came off with a wet smack. He forced himself to stretch; his shoulders had gone numb somewhere toward the end of his workout. He had to remind himself that he wasn’t a teenager anymore as he felt every bit of being a twenty-nine-year-old former competitive swimmer.  

“Fuck,” he hissed as he slowly made his way to the locker room, toweling his body off as he walked. His muscles were cramping. The cup of coffee that had been his breakfast was long gone, and his stomach felt like it was digesting itself. _So much for a relaxing swim_ , he grumbled. Leia’s voice popped into the back of his head, nagging that he was always pushing himself too far. And his brain still itched to play the song that had been stuck in his head the entire time.

A quick shower and a several minutes later, Kylo attempted to walk through campus toward ESC for a much-needed lunch. The campus was filling up with students setting up tents and coolers on the lawn, and multiple speakers blaring country music here, rap music there. The scent of barbeque smoke was thick in the air. Red and white, the school colors, were everywhere and on everything. He belatedly remembered there was a home football game that weekend.

Mentally snarling at the rambunctious students in his way, he made it to ESC in one piece, only ducking once to dodge an errant frisbee thrown his way. He could feel his grey button up start to stick to his torso in places, the heat of the day was so intense.

The air conditioning of the building was no relief, he thought, as he entered ESC, due to the sheer volume of people inside. Parents and students and alumni teamed around, “Coruscant Rebels” emblazoned on various clothing. He vaguely remembered a protest several years ago regarding their team name, a portion of the student body wanting to change their name to something less tied to the American Civil War, and a majority of alumni against the movement, arguing their right to their southern heritage. Kylo stayed out of it at the time, but he still cringed inwardly whenever someone yelled out, “Go Rebels!”

All the food venues were packed. Kylo paced furiously through ESC before he gave up, figuring that he could get food faster if he just went home. The dark look on his face prevented students from stopping to greet him as he left the crowded student center. He strode up the hill toward the PoliSci building, where he had parked that morning.

Kylo was starting to feel shaky. He needed to get something to eat, and soon, otherwise he would cause a scene by passing out. He had done it once or twice as a teenager, frequently after swim meets or long practices. He had learned to always carry a granola bar with him, but forgot this morning, since all he had planning on doing was grading and a light swim. He passed a small shaded area near the rear of the building when he heard his name.

“Kylo!” Rey called out, waving. She stood beneath a group of trees, a purple and green hammock strung up between them. A picnic blanket and insulated tote were situated nearby.

_Of all_ people, he thought dejectedly. He raised a hand halfheartedly, desperate to get home.

Rey approached him. Her chestnut hair was in two braids, making her appear younger than she already looked. The thin straps of her yellow tank top displayed the freckles dotting her shoulders. And her denim shorts showed off her long, tanned legs, which Kylo was studiously trying to ignore. “Hey,” she greeted casually, her eyes crinkling with her smile.

“Rey,” he said, gripping his car keys tightly. Kylo shifted his bag uncomfortably. His car was so close. In ten minutes, he could be home eating lunch, and not on the verge of fainting.

Her brows wrinkled in concern. “Are you okay? You look pale,” she said, stepping closer to him. Her feet were bare, sandals discarded by the rest of her things.

Kylo briefly debated lying but decided against it. “I’m feeling a little faint, actually,” he admitted, sheepishly. “I worked out on an empty stomach, and my blood sugar is low.”

“I have some food, I don’t mind sharing,” Rey offered. She rushed back to the blanket, kneeling on it. Unzipping the bag, Rey began pulling out containers of fruit and sandwiches. “Here, sit down,” she said, patting a spot next to her.

“Oh, I couldn’t possibly,” Kylo began, taking a step toward his car.

“I insist,” Rey said. “Finn and Rose stopped by the grocery store, so they’re bringing more food. There’s plenty, I promise.” She looked at him, her hazel eyes large. “Please, stay.”

Kylo hesitated for a moment, before he sighed softly. He was a sucker for such pretty eyes. “Okay,” he said. He berated himself internally for being so weak. And for letting himself be in this position, where he was relying on help from a student due to his carelessness. He should have eaten an actual breakfast.

He settled next to Rey on the blanket, hiding a wince as the muscles of his legs protested the movement. He placed his keys on top of his bag beside him.

Rey handed him a sandwich. “I hope chicken salad is okay,” she said, watching him nervously.

“It’s fine. Thank you,” Kylo replied, grateful. He bit into the sandwich. Apple and celery flavors burst on his tongue, the taste bright and flavorful. “This is really good,” he said around a mouthful, eyeing the sandwich approvingly. He could see bits of what looked like cranberries and walnut next to the lettuce and chicken.

Rey beamed. “Thanks, it’s a recipe from my- from home,” she said quickly. “Curried chicken salad. It’s one of my favorites to make in the summer.”

“I can see why,” he said, curious as to what she was originally going to say.

They sat in a companionable silence, the noise from further down campus filtering toward them. Rey looked at his face, and leaned forward, examining him closer. Kylo froze, his sandwich halfway to his mouth.

“Were you swimming?” she asked, voice tinged with amusement.

“Yes?” Kylo said, unsure why she was inspecting him.

“Your goggles left an imprint around your eyes,” she said with a chuckle.

Of course. “Ah,” is all he said in reply. He calmly took another bite of his sandwich, willing away the blush that was beginning.

“Do you swim often?”

Kylo chewed, holding up a finger.

“Sorry,” Rey laughed. She pulled out an orange from her tote and started to peel the skin.

“I don’t swim as often as I used to,” Kylo said once he had finished. “But I used to swim for Coruscant in undergrad.”

“I don’t know how to swim,” Rey said, handing Kylo half of the orange.

He could have sworn he felt a small jolt of electricity when his fingers touched hers, accepting the fruit. “Really?”

Rey shook her head. She studied the orange section in her hand. “We didn’t have the money to afford swim lessons. And I moved around a lot as a child, so starting lessons seemed impractical if I was never anywhere long enough to finish them.”

Kylo sat for a minute, unsure of what to say. He thought of his own childhood, of being shuttled to a new location every three or four years, never staying long enough to feel like he belonged somewhere.

“That sounds lonely.”

Hazel eyes met his. “It was,” she said. After a moment, Rey laughed softly. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to bring the mood down.”

 “No, don’t apologize,” Kylo said quickly. “Everyone has a story. Yours made you who you are.”

Rey glanced at him gratefully. Kylo gave her a small smile in return, before popping an orange section into his mouth.

The food was starting to make Kylo feel less shaky. He wasn’t as edgy as he was a few minutes ago, though how much of that was due to his companion, Kylo didn’t know. Rey was kind, he thought, sharing her food with a practical stranger. While he has given out food to those in need, he wasn’t sure that he would so readily have shared his food with someone he barely knew.

“You’re one of Poe’s students, right?”

She nodded, nibbling on her orange. Rey ate the section delicately, appearing to savor the sweetness of the fruit. Once more, Kylo forced his eyes away from her lips.

“So, are you a physics major?”

“Mechanical engineering. It requires a fair bit of physics, though, which is how I still have Dr. Dameron as a professor.”

Kylo grinned amusedly, thinking of Poe. “It’s still so weird hearing him referred like that.”

Rey smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners. “That’s right, you were friends as kids.”

“Teenagers, really.” Kylo thought back to when he was too tall and gangly, all limbs and no grace. “I was fifteen when we moved to Argentina. His mom was our housekeeper, and since he was around the same age as me, our mothers introduced us. Then he became my best friend.”

Rey opened her mouth to ask a question, when two figures approached their picnic blanket. Finn stopped awkwardly several feet away from where they were seated, eying Kylo warily. A dark-haired female glanced at Kylo before grinning at Rey, setting down several plastic bags of groceries. The two girls greeted each other enthusiastically.

“Hey,” Finn said slowly, holding two silver tumblers in his hands.

Kylo nodded back in response. He didn’t miss the way Finn’s eyes darted from the tumblers to Rey, then to Kylo.

“Kylo, this is Rose, another one of my roommates. She’s an electrical engineering major,” Rey said, introducing her female friend.

Rose smiled brightly at Kylo, offering her hand.

“We met briefly the first day of the semester, I’m not sure if you remember.”

He grasped her hand, Rose's grip surprisingly firm.

“In the cafeteria,” Kylo said. “I remember.”

Rose turned to Rey. “We got some cheese and crackers, I've been craving them for a while. And Finn got more of his beloved La Croix.”

“I see,” Rey said, amused. “Did you bring a La Crunk for me?” she asked Finn, reaching for one of the silver tumblers as he sat next to Rose.

Finn pulled away slightly. “Nope, these are both for me,” he said, his voice pitched higher than normal.

Rey gave Finn a confused look. Finn, in the meantime, was trying to glance at Kylo meaningfully.

Alcohol was allowed on campus, but only in designated areas such as the football stadium, and only to those twenty-one and older. If an under aged student were caught with alcohol, the repercussions could lead to expulsion.

Kylo sighed internally, taking his cue to leave.

“Rey, thank you for the food,” Kylo said, standing up gingerly, gathering his keys and bag. “I need to head out, I have some grading I need to finish up.”

Disappointment flashed through her eyes before Rey smiled tentatively at Kylo.

“I guess I’ll see you on Thursday?” she asked, a hopeful note in her voice.

Kylo nodded. “Thursday, then. Have a good rest of your day,” he said, looking at the group once more before he walked toward his car. He made a mental note to take an anti-inflammatory once he got home.

Climbing into his car, Kylo closed the door with a slam, trapping in the afternoon heat. The sounds from campus were immediately muffled. He hung his head and heaved a sigh, clutching the steering wheel tightly.

“She is too young for you,” he said to himself, his voice sounding too loud in the small space. He waited a beat before turning the engine, the vents blasting him with air that had yet to cool. Kylo immediately silenced his radio, feeling too distracted to listen to This American Life. He sat for a moment before shifting his car in reverse.

Ten minutes later, Kylo opened the door to the scent of _milanesas_ , the smell immediately taking him back to his high school years and Poe's mother making him lunch in the summer.

“ _Chiquito_ , is that you?” Poe called out from the kitchen using his childhood nickname. It translated to ‘shorty’; it had been appropriate for a few months before Kylo sprouted like a weed, then the nickname became ironic.

“ _Sí, Boludo_ ,” Kylo replied, tossing his keys into the small bowl in the entryway. Poe’s nickname, however, translated affectionately to ‘jerk’. It could be construed as an insult if used with someone who was not a friend.

He made his way into the kitchen, tossing his bag on the floor. Poe held his arm out distractedly for a hug, concentrating on frying the _milanesas_. Kylo gave him a side hug.

Argentinian greetings were a little hard to adjust to when Kylo moved to Buenos Aires. Strangers greeted with a handshake, friends sometimes greeted with an embrace and a kiss on the cheek, but most close friends always hugged. It took a while before the introvert in Kylo became used to the casual affection.

“Did you get all your grading done?” Poe asked. Kylo rolled his eyes; Poe may not have any siblings, but he had big brother tendencies that irritated Kylo.

“No, I couldn’t focus this morning, so I went for a swim.”

Poe glanced at him from the corner of his eye. “For three hours?”

“Fuck off, _che_ ,” Kylo retorted with little heat. “You’re not my boss.”

“All I’m saying is it’s almost one in the afternoon, and you told me you’d be home before noon to help me cook,” Poe said, moving the _milanesas_ to a plate draped with a paper towel to absorb extra grease. He tapped his tongs firmly on the side of the pan and turned off the stove.

Cooking was not Poe’s forte, though he was getting better. Kylo wondered how much take-out Poe had lived off of while he spent a year away in Argentina. Poe’s mother was a fantastic cook, but Poe had been too busy himself to learn her techniques. It wasn’t unusual for one or both of Kylo’s parents to be gone all day, so Kylo had bugged their various housekeepers through the years to teach him how to cook. It gave him something to do, as well as someone to talk to, which was nice. Especially in the first few months after they moved. If Kylo hadn’t pursued political science, he might have gone into culinary.

_Milanesas_ were simple enough; a thin slice of beef or chicken, breaded and fried, served with mashed potatoes or fries. But he had completely forgotten his promise to Poe to help him make lunch.

Kylo pinched the bridge of his nose. “You’re right, I’m sorry.” He drummed his fingers on the kitchen table for a few seconds. “I kind of had lunch with Rey.”

His friend whipped his head around, in the process of getting plates out from the cabinet. “Rey Kenobi?” he asked, bewildered.

“Yes.”

Poe squinted at him. “Was this planned?”

“No.”

The Argentine sighed, plating a _milanesa_ for himself. He held up the other plate and raised an eyebrow. Kylo nodded. Poe spooned mashed potatoes onto the plate as well. “These are instant, by the way. Since you decided to have a different lunch date and I had to do everything by myself.”

Kylo cringed. “I said I’m sorry.”

Setting down both plates on the table, Poe looked Kylo in the eye.

“So, what happened?”

Kylo absently cut the breaded beef on his plate. “I swam on an empty stomach, and I almost passed out.”

Poe rolled his eyes, sighing. “Again?” he asked.

“It’s been a while since I’d been that careless,” Kylo said defensively. “Anyway, I was walking back to my car when I heard my name. Rey was having a picnic, and she offered me some food when she saw that I wasn’t well.”

“And that’s it?”

“Pretty much.”

They ate in silence, broken occasionally by the sound of their utensils clinking and scraping against their plates.

Poe finally took pity on him. “Not that you two don’t look cute together,” he said, grinning at his friend, “but it would have been nice to get a heads up that you had other plans.”

“She’s can’t even legally drink,” Kylo blurted out, staring at his plate.

“Maybe in this country,” Poe muttered.

“That’s not the point,” Kylo explained, pushing away from the table. “I’m probably ten years older than her. She’s practically a child.”  

Poe laughed at him. “ _¡Actúas como si fueras tan viejo_!” He shook his head, eyes twinkling. “You’re not that old, Ben. And it’s not like she’s actually your student. You’ll be fine.”

“That’s easy for you to say,” Kylo grumbled. “You already have your doctorate.”

“ _Artísta_ ,” Poe snickered.

“ _Chúpame ésta_ ,” Kylo shot back.

“You’re not my type,” Poe quipped.

Kylo rolled his eyes, cracking a smile. “I’m going to grade. I'll help you with the dishes later.”

His friend nodded. “What did you think of the _milanesas_?”

“They’re almost as good as Mamá’s.”

“ _Chamuyero_ ,” Poe said, looking pleased with himself.

Kylo carried his duffel bag to his room, pulling out the now slightly rumpled stack of papers once he sat at his desk. He could do this, he thought to himself. Just read over twenty essays, make critiques, then he’d be done.

His mind still refused to cooperate with him, remembering Rey's sweet laugh and her doe eyes, and those legs-

“Stop it,” he growled to himself. “This is how you get yourself in trouble.”

Kylo took a calming breath, breathing in for six counts, and out for six counts, like his Uncle Luke had shown him when he was a child. The breathing and meditative exercises helped with his anxiety and were the only lessons that really stuck with Kylo. Luke had lost him with the deeper Taoist teachings the several times he had visited him in rural China.

After a few minutes, Kylo finally felt calm enough to grade. He couldn’t let thoughts of Rey distract him. That way led the possible loss of his job if he ended up looking incompetent.

“You’re going to be the death of me,” he said, picking up his pen once more.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Che / dude, buddy, also can be used as 'hey'
> 
> ¡Actúas como si fueras tan viejo! / You act like you’re so ancient!
> 
> Artísta / dramatic
> 
> Chúpame ésta / Suck my dick
> 
> Chamuyero (cha-mu-SHER-o) / smooth talker
> 
> Also, if you're curious, here's an [article](https://www.history.com/news/how-south-america-became-a-nazi-haven) on the history of Nazis hiding in South America.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I apologize for the long delay - it's been a roller coaster of a summer, concluding with the river demanding my cellphone as a sacrifice. But here's chapter four, again from Kylo's POV. I really struggled with keeping him mostly in-character; he kept trying to become a Hufflepuff on me, for some reason. This chapter is brought to you by the letter '-' and the excessive use of italics and tango terms.
> 
> Many thanks to [TehanuFromEarthsea](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TehanuFromEarthsea/pseuds/TehanuFromEarthsea) for beta reading for me, without which this story would be nowhere as strong as it is today. And thanks also to duckling_irl for being my Argentine Spanish and cultural guide, without which native Spanish speakers and Argentines would be like 'wtf am I reading right now?'. Or alternatively, 'jajajajaja'.
> 
> I also made a [playlist](https://open.spotify.com/user/laura.nuestro/playlist/63CKDP49iVELUAvK8JbKWw) on Spotify for Cabeceo! Listen along, and let me know if you'd be interested in a version without traditional tango. And give me your song requests! What songs do you think Kylo or Rey like listening to? Otherwise, here's a list of the songs for this chapter:
> 
> Traditional tanda:  
> Pensalo Bien - Juan D'Arienzo  
> La Piba de los Jazmines - Ricardo Malerba  
> Cordon de oro - Anibal Troilo y su orquesta
> 
> Non-traditional tanda:  
> What Goes Around...Comes Around (Radio Edit) - Justin Timberlake  
> Runaway - Ed Sheeran  
> Save Me - Jem
> 
> As always, Spanish translations at the end of chapter notes.

 

 

By the time Thursday rolled around, Kylo was over his week.

A quarter of his 200-level Latin American Politics class failed their map quiz. He figured the quiz would be straightforward enough to study for – they were only responsible for naming Spanish and Portuguese speaking Central and South American countries and their capitals. He had even given them a map with the answer key to study. One student had the gall to turn in his map quiz blank.

Some of his 300-level class hadn’t bothered to read the articles he had assigned to them. The ones who were familiar with politics or economics were doing well, but there were always those students who were surprised by a scheduled assignment’s due date.

Kylo ran his hands through his hair, groaning. This was the part he had dreaded when he accepted the position as an adjunct professor. He didn’t mind the teaching aspect of it; he enjoyed teaching, observing how his students interpreted economic patterns and cultural differences. But it was the people who didn’t put in any effort that he struggled with. They were adults, he couldn’t dictate to them how to be responsible. But he knew that how the classes were doing overall would reflect on him personally, and he didn’t want to appear unqualified.

If those same students didn’t start turning in acceptable work in the next few weeks, he would have to sit them down for a “come to Jesus meeting”, as some of the local faculty called it.

Kylo stared at the screen of his laptop, the numbers on his online gradebook seeming to mock him. The click of heels broke his reverie as Sabine Wren, one of the other adjunct professors sharing the office space, came around the corner. She was a recent brunette, her prior blue and copper hair color seen as too distracting for her position.

“What are you listening to?” she asked, pulling a face. She tucked back an errant stand of hair, uncovering multiple piercings lining the shell of her ear. Sabine set her paperwork onto her table carefully, the tower of manila folders stacked precariously upon each other.

Kylo quickly turned down the tinny Spanish singer warbling on his laptop. He had been so distracted by his gradebook that he forgot he was even listening to music. He supposed 1940’s traditional tango wasn’t for everyone.

“Sorry, I didn’t realize what time it was,” he said, glancing at the clock on his computer. “It’s just some music for the tango club, we have a meeting tonight.”

“Oh?” Sabine said, an eyebrow disappearing beneath her bangs. “I didn’t you know you could dance, Ben.”

Kylo had shared several classes with Sabine in undergrad and graduate school. She concentrated in Comparative Politics and was also set to defend her dissertation in the next couple years. Kylo remembered sitting behind her in class and studying the vibrant watercolor floral tattoos on her upper arms, the brilliant orange of a phoenix peeking out from under her shirt collar. He had always thought of her as more of an artist than a political science major. Her grey dress pants and cranberry blouse business attire almost seemed to dull her aura.

“Argentine tango, yeah. Any other style of dance, not so much.”

“Maybe you’ll have to show me sometime,” Sabine replied, settling into her chair. “I’ve watched Dancing With The Stars, tango looks pretty fancy.”

It was Kylo’s turn to make a face. “That’s not true Argentine tango. That’s a Columbused bastardization of it.”

Sabine laughed, the pink stud on her left nostril catching the light. “Tell me how you really feel.”

“It is!” Kylo insisted. “Tango is…” He paused, searching for an adequate explanation. He studied a brown water spot on the tiled ceiling. How could he boil tango down to its essence?

“It’s about the connection between you and your partner. Those dancing shows don’t focus on that. They’re too busy with the flashy choreography and the risqué costumes. Tango doesn’t have to be fancy; there’s embellishments to accent the song’s musicality, but the basis of tango, of really dancing and not just performing, is translating the music into a non-verbal conversation. You’re sharing a moment with your partner, whether it’s fun or poignant. As a leader, you want your partner to have a good time. You want them to anticipate dancing with you again. You don’t need to have acrobatics or theatrics to have an emotionally moving experience.”

His co-worker blinked at him. “You know,” she said slowly, a smile warming her voice. “I was kidding when I said that. But thank you for sharing that with me.”

Kylo’s ears felt warm. “No problem,” he mumbled, shuffling papers to give his hands something to do. He had always detested competition dancing, especially ballroom style dancing. It felt too constraining to him, having to stick with a predetermined routine and repeatedly performing it until it no longer held any meaning.

Sabine looked at him thoughtfully. “So basically,” she drew out, tapping an index finger on her lips. “You’re telling me that tango is like really good sex.”

Kylo almost dropped his papers. “I- what?”

“You know,” she said, waggling her eyebrows. “Having a connection between two people. How did you word it? Having a non-verbal conversation with each other.”

“I guess you could put it that way,” Kylo replied, flustered. “Though I’ve never used it to decide who I’m going to sleep with.”

Sabine leaned forward, her amber eyes shining with interest. “Are there people who do that?” she asked, scandalized.

Kylo shrugged. “I’m sure it’s been done before,” he said, easing into his lecturing mindset. “There’s a cliché that tango started in Buenos Aires brothels. It was the one place where the upper class willingly interacted with the lower class, and sometimes the lines for the brothel would be long. The managers decided to employed tango musicians to pass the time, and the men would take advantage of the live music to practice their dancing, taking turns leading and following while they waited. The myth was that the prostitutes would select their next customer based on how well he danced.”

“So, wait, the men would dance with each other?”

“Yeah. Buenos Aires was an industrial port, so there were exponentially more men than women. If you wanted to interact with a woman, you either danced or you visited a brothel. And if you wanted to dance with a woman, you had to be a good dancer, or else she probably wouldn’t want to dance with you again. And who does that leave you to practice with, but other men?”

“Huh.” Sabine grinned at Kylo. “Apparently I chose the wrong concentration. Latin American stuff seems so much more interesting than comparative politics.”

Kylo made a dismissive sound, leaning back into his uncomfortable wooden chair. “Not to my current students. They bombed my map quiz.”

“Some of them are little shits, aren’t they?”

The two laughed. Kylo grinned crookedly at her.

“I missed this,” Sabine sighed.

Kylo tensed, his pulse accelerating. “Missed what, exactly?” he asked, careful to keep his tone casual.

“This,” she said, gesturing around her. “Just talking. Armitage is nowhere near as fun to talk to as you are.”

Armitage Hux was the last of the adjunct professors sharing their tiny office. The red-headed man had a permanent scowl, and with his pale skin and long face, looked like he belonged in a period drama rather than in a classroom full of twenty-somethings.

“No, I can’t imagine he talks to anyone socially at all.”

“He just looks down his nose at me and says his day is none of my business, and shouldn’t I be grading something?” Sabine scoffs.

Kylo shook his head. “He’s like a ginger Severus Snape.”

Sabine smiled wryly. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a collection of long black cloaks in his wardrobe.”

Sitting tall in his chair, Kylo straightened his back, his expression severe. “I can teach you how to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses,” he said in a low, drawling British accent.

Leaning forward, Sabine mimicked his impression. “I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory-”

“Even put a stopper in death,” they finished together.

The two professors cackled like children.

Sabine shook her head ruefully. “When did we become adults, Ben?” she asked, looking at him through her lashes.

Kylo worked his jaw nervously. He had always harbored a small flame for his former classmate. She was a mystery to him, throwing off his assumptions. She looked like a punk rocker, but she was also an intelligent woman not afraid to push boundaries in the academic world. He admired that in her. He had wanted to ask her out on a date their sophomore year, but out of the blue, Sabine had returned from fall break a married woman. Married to a man twice their age. They had divorced sometime last year, when Kylo was abroad. He heard second-hand that it had been a rather messy ordeal.

A familiar set of chords forced Kylo’s head to snap to his laptop in horror.

_Oh, baby, baby._

“What the fuck, Poe,” he hissed under his breath while clicking hurriedly through the screens to halt the song.

Sabine gave a rather unladylike snort.

_Oh, baby, baby._

“I’m going to fucking kill him,” Kylo seethed. He clicked the stop button with finality.

The brunette was doing her best not to dissolve in giggles. And she was failing.

He was torn between pretending nothing happened and fleeing. He turned to face his co-worker, a nonchalant excuse on his tongue.

Sabine had her lips clamped tightly together, her face tinged pink with the effort.

It reminded him too much of his elementary school classmates laughing at his broken Spanish during their first week in Guatemala.

It reminded him of what he looked like in his swim jammers as a pale, gangly teenager in the Dominican Republic standing next to his toned, bronze-skinned teammates.

It reminded him of when he confessed to his girlfriend in undergrad that he practiced calligraphy.

Humiliation won over his pride.

“I… I have to go,” Kylo said, hurriedly packing his things. He shoved his laptop into his bag and practically ran out of their office, his face burning with shame.

Sabine’s breathless laughter floated after him, his heavy footsteps not managing to drown it out.

Once he was outside, Kylo pulled out his cellphone and furiously punched in a few numbers. Poe picked up after the second ring.

“I hate you,” Kylo growled without preamble, hitching his bag higher on his shoulder.

A rustling of fabric and the phone being adjusted met his ear. “That’s unfortunate, because I’m rather fond of you, myself,” Poe said, sounding somewhat distracted.

Kylo looked around surreptitiously. He was alone on the sidewalk. “ _Britney Spears_?”

A hollow, metallic bang sounded in the background of the call. The dryer. His roommate must have been doing laundry. “Damnit, you weren’t supposed to see that! It was going to be a surprise!”

The memory of Sabine hiding her smile flashed in his mind. “It was a surprise, alright,” he said flatly.

“Why are you so upset about it anyway?”

Kylo sighed. “I was listening to the playlist in my office, and Sabine was in the office when that song came on.”

Poe crowed loudly into his right ear. Kylo pulled the phone away with a wince.

“That’s that girl you had a crush on forever ago, right?” Poe continued, sniggering.

Kylo rolled his eyes. He was coming up on the student center. “God, you’re worse than my mother.”

“Oh, come on, it couldn’t have been that bad.”

Silence.

“Che. Don’t be so upset. I’m sure the next time you see each other, you’ll laugh about it.”

“I’m still changing the song. I refuse to dance to Britney Spears.”

A chuckle filtered through the speaker. “Ay, _dios mio_ I wish I was there.”

“Goodbye, Poe.” Kylo abruptly disconnected the call while his friend sputtered in the background.

Now that a few moments had passed, Kylo felt embarrassed about running. Sabine and he hadn’t been particularly close during their schooling, but she was one of the more easygoing people in his life. He knew that her laughter wasn’t malicious. However, his social anxiety was a sneaky creature, rearing its head when least expected. Particularly so when he was surprised.

Checking the time, he saw that he still had another three hours before the tango club meeting. He needed to fix the damned playlist before he forgot. He sat down near the small coffee shop in the student center, pulling out his laptop and plugged in his earbuds to drown out the grinder.

He opened the music program and removed the offending song with relish.

Studying the remaining songs, it seemed that Poe had made a pop tanda, which meant that he would have to add a new song with the same musical cadence. Otherwise he would have to completely redo the tanda.

Kylo sighed resignedly. He hated pop songs.

Sending his roommate a mental middle finger, Kylo searched for pop playlists. He absently scrolled through, immediately eliminating the first thirty he came across. He paused before one song thoughtfully.

 _Maybe_?

He clicked on it.

The music bar was moving, but no sound came through his earbuds.

Checking the connection, he tried again. Nothing.

He disconnected the earbuds and hit play. Music played through the laptop speakers.

Kylo examined the earbuds in his hand. He had suspected for a while that they were on their last days. The sound had stopped working on the right earbud several months ago, and if he were honest with himself, the only reason he kept them was because he bought them at the airport on the way to Buenos Aires last year. They were overpriced and lime green, but they helped to keep him sane when the burden of his dissertation research overwhelmed him, which was frequently.

Saying a silent farewell to the lime green earbuds, Kylo once more packed up his laptop. Perhaps they would have more at the bookstore.

On the last few steps, Kylo could already smell the books and paper from the bookstore. The cheery red and white window display had mannequins showing off all sorts of Coruscant Rebels and Coruscant University gear. He entered the bookstore and went straight to the limited electronics section. Next to the thumb drives and phone chargers, two options of three-dollar earbuds stared sadly back at him.

He was deliberating between black or white when he was interrupted.

“Can I help- oh, hey, Kylo,” a familiar voice chirped.

Turning, he saw Rey, hazel eyes grinning at him over a stack of textbooks.

He automatically started to reach for the books before he stopped himself. “Do you need help with those?” Kylo asked, clenching his empty hands awkwardly.

“Nah, I got these,” Rey said, hefting the heavy pile of books easily. “Give me a second to put these down and I can help you.”

“I- okay,” he said to Rey's retreating back, noting absently that her red apron was slightly too big on her.

A minute later she returned, arms free of books.

“What are you looking for?” she asked casually.

Kylo held up the two earbuds. “Between these two, which color do you recommend?”

Rey scrunched her nose in distaste. “Ugh, neither if you can help it. That brand is garbage.”

 _Oh._ “Well, that narrows it down,” Kylo said, eying the earbuds ruefully.

She giggled, ducking her head, before looking back up at him.

It struck Kylo suddenly that he really liked how Rey looked when she laughed, how she brightened. His eyes flicked down to her mouth, studying the way her lips tilted up slightly higher on the right.

He fleetingly wondered what it would be like to kiss her.

“We do have other options, depending on how much you want to spend,” Rey said, leading him to the front of the store. She slipped behind the counter and pulled off a red spiral keychain bracelet from her wrist. She unlocked the glass display underneath the counter and pulled out several earbuds. “This one is okay for a backup pair,” she said, tapping a set that looked nearly identical to the three-dollar ones. “And this one is my personal favorite because the sound quality is decent for the price. And of course, we have outrageously priced Beats earbuds, but we do offer a university employee discount.”

The second pair she had indicated were the same brand as his old ones. “Do you happen to have these in lime green?” Kylo asked, sliding the package forward.

Rey blinked, surprised. “I can look, sure,” she said, her lips once more tilting up toward the right.

 _Gods, I’m in trouble_ , Kylo thought distractedly.

Bending down, Rey pulled out a small plastic basket. Straightening, she rifled through the contents, shaking her head after a few seconds. “It looks like a far as colors, there’s pink, blue, and black.”

“Blue’s fine.”

She efficiently typed in several codes for the register and scanned the earbuds. While she worked, Kylo admired the way her hair spilled down her shoulders, pulled back halfway into a bun at the top. Her face was framed prettily by a few wisps of escaped chestnut strands, which she blew out of her way irritatedly with a small puff of air. Rey glanced up at him, and Kylo hurriedly pulled out his wallet.

“Are you going to the tango club meeting tonight?” he asked as Rey gave him his change.

“Yeah, I’m done at seven, and it's right down the hall, so I should be on time today,” Rey said, handing him the earbuds.

“You’re not going to wear those heels again, are you?” he half joked, remembering the blisters on the back of her ankles.

Rey winced, seeming to recall them as well. “I brought them with me, and some plasters to go ahead and put on.” Seeing Kylo’s confused look, she said, “Bandages. I brought bandages.”

“I’m sure the shoes you have on now will be fine.”

She glanced down at her feet. “They’re ballet flats, are you sure?”

Not having any idea what Rey was talking about when she said ‘ballet flats’, Kylo nodded affirmatively. “That’ll work just fine,” injecting confidence into his voice.

Mentally he added, _I hope_.

Rey beamed at him, causing Kylo’s heart to trip over itself. “I’ll see you in a couple hours, then!”

Kylo quirked his lips in return. “ _Nos vemos_ ,” he echoed.

He could have sworn Rey might have had a slight flush to her cheeks as he turned to leave.

 

*

 

At six-thirty, Kylo unlocked the conference room for the tango club. The fluorescent lights flickered to life with the flip of a switch, the bulbs humming softly as Kylo’s footsteps sounded in the empty room. He plugged in a couple of box fans to circulate the stuffy air. The heavy windows protested loudly as Kylo raised them, early cricket song accompanying the creaking pane. A feeble breeze stirred Kylo’s hair, tickling his face.

The late afternoon sun bathed the campus with an orange glow. Kylo rolled up the sleeves of his light blue button down, his jacket long since discarded. He braced his arms on the open window, drinking in the sounds of the campus and nature.

Endor Student Center was situated toward the bottom of the hill, overlooking the neighboring basketball and football stadiums to the west, and a couple dorm buildings to the east. From Kylo’s perspective, ESC was casting long shadows down the center of campus. The deli on the ground floor was baking fresh bread, Kylo noticed, the smell making his mouth water.

Poe entered the conference room when the bell tower’s reverberating peal signaled fifteen minutes before their meeting. Kylo was crouched on the floor, finishing setting up the stereo speakers.

“Did you change the tanda?” Poe asked, straddling a chair next to his friend.

Kylo shot Poe a look. “Do you even have to ask?”

The curly-haired man clutched his chest dramatically. “I’m sorry, have I offended you?”

He rolled his eyes. “Only your weakness for ninety’s pop.”

Poe actually gasped. “Britney Spears is a _goddess_.”

“I suppose I should be grateful it wasn’t a boy band.”

Silence greeted him. Kylo looked over at his roommate.

Poe’s eyes had taken a mischievous light.

“Oh no,” Kylo moaned.

The two men eyed the laptop, then each other.

“Che, don’t you dare.”

The quick flash of Poe’s grin was his only warning.

They sprang toward it at the same time, Kylo scrambling from the floor, Poe knocking over his chair in haste.

“I fucking swear to god Poe, if you lose my dissertation-”

“It’s saved to the cloud anyway-”

“Stop, you’ll break it!”

“I just want to add a tanda! It’ll be fun-”

“Let go-!”

Someone cleared their throat.

“Gentlemen,” Amilyn Holdo, the Coruscant University Vice President of Academic Affairs, intoned. She stood just inside the door of the conference room, her hands clasped together in front of her.

Kylo felt ice run down his spine. The two men broke apart, Kylo clutching his laptop protectively to his chest.

“ _Buenas_ \- good evening, Dr. Holdo,” Poe stammered, straightening his shirt. Kylo mumbled a similar greeting, setting his laptop down on the table carefully.

The Vice President was a tall, thin woman, dressed smartly in a light grey pantsuit. Her shoulder length wavy hair was a surprising shade of lilac, which Kylo was rather sure that only she could pull off because of her standing within the university.

“Good evening, Poe, Ben,” she said, appearing to hide a smile.

“What brings you here?” Poe asked, once he gained his composure.

Amilyn tilted her head toward Kylo. “Leia had told me that the two of you were running a tango club, so I wanted to check it out for myself.”

Leia Organa-Solo and Amilyn Holdo were best friends, their friendship going back decades. They met in high school as part of Model United Nations. The two of them represented Uganda and won several awards for their performances in debate. Because of their similar career choices, Amilyn in international business and Leia in diplomacy, two women stayed in touch years after their jobs took them across the globe. Amilyn’s ties to the college was one of the main reasons that Leia sent Kylo to Coruscant in the first place.

“It was Poe’s idea, since I was coming back from Argentina,” Kylo said.

Poe nodded. “I help run the classes at the Global Education Center in the summer, so I thought it could be fun to do during the school year.”

“It certainly sounds like a wonderful idea,” Amilyn said. “I may have to come by later to see when your class is in full swing.”

The two men murmured in agreement as the first few students of the night trickled in. Amilyn left with a smile, indicating that she would be back.

“No pressure,” Kylo said under his breath as he went to finish setting up the sound system.

Poe chuckled. “Right?”

The speakers popped as Kylo connected the auxiliary cord with his laptop. He started up the playlist with a traditional tango song, a cheerful bandoneon and piano picking up a staccato beat.

“I’ll leave the playlist alone on one condition,” Poe said suddenly.

Kylo looked at his friend suspiciously. He had a bad feeling about this.

“What’s the condition?” he asked warily.

“When your tanda comes on, you have to ask Rey Kenobi to dance with you.”

A fist seized around his chest. What was Poe doing?

“ _Por qué_?” Kylo hissed, his hands clenching into fists. He felt his ears start to flush.

Poe shook his head, unimpressed. Kylo supposed Poe had faced the brunt of his indignant anger too many times to be affected by it anymore. “What does it matter, why? Those are my terms. Otherwise I’m changing the tanda back to what it was before.”

He was doing it again. Playing matchmaker. Poe’s previous attempts always grated on his nerves, but this time it was a little too close to home. Kylo _was_ hoping that Rey would want to dance with him, but he didn’t want to appear too forward by asking her to dance. Hell, he didn’t even know if she was single, let alone if she was interested in him in return.

“But I hate pop,” he said lamely, looking for an out.

“But you like _her_ ,” Poe countered.

What did he have to lose, a little voice said in the back of his mind. Kylo _had_ enjoyed dancing with Rey.

Not to mention that Kylo really, really didn’t want to play Poe’s previous tanda.

His eyes narrowed. “Just what are you trying to prove?”

“You’ll thank me later, Chiquito,” Poe said, giving Kylo’s shoulder a pat.

Kylo grumbled under his breath. He hoped he was right.

A few minutes before seven, the conference room was filling up, and Kylo still didn’t see Rey. He checked his watch for the third time in five minutes. He also pointedly ignored Poe’s smug smile in his direction.

“Nervous?”

A glare. “No.”

“Why do you keep looking at the time, then?”

He didn’t bother replying to Poe, who was too busy smirking to himself.

_Asshole._

Instead, Kylo busied himself with his laptop, making sure that Britney Spears hadn’t managed to sneak back onto the playlist. Poe’s elbow nudged his side a few minutes later, nodding toward the door.

“You can stop being nervous now,” his friend murmured as Rey and Finn walked in, talking to each other.

Rey’s eyes found his instantly.

Kylo looked down at his laptop, his heart rate doubling in speed. _Christ_ , he berated, _how old am I, thirteen_? Mentally collecting himself, Kylo glanced back toward Rey.

She and Finn had sat down, her roommate opening a bag and pulling out his dance shoes. Rey’s eyes met Kylo’s once more, before she grinned shyly at him.

Kylo nodded at her with a small smile of his own.

“ _Suave_ ,” Poe teased.

“ _Que rompebolas_ ,” Kylo rumbled from the side of his mouth.

Jessika walked up to Poe and Kylo at that moment, interrupting the two teachers. “So, how do you want to begin the class?”

While Poe and Jessika hashed out lesson details, Kylo watched Rey from the corner of his eye. She wore a loose white shirt with a cheerful yellow scarf around her neck. Black leggings encased her long legs, and her green suede shoes vaguely resembled ballet slippers. They had no heel, which might pose a problem, but he would worry about it later if she was having trouble. Again, Rey snuck a glance at Kylo.

“Chiquito, were you listening?”

“Hmm?” Kylo snapped his attention to Poe. Jessika watched the two men with amusement.

The brunette had a knowing look. “Uh huh,” he simply mused to himself.

Kylo folded his arms across his chest. “Fuck off. It’s your fault.”

Poe waited a beat. “Anyway, what we were saying was, we would get everyone to warm up first with the _basico_ , then teach them _ochos_ and _la parada_. So just jump in whenever you feel inspired.”

“After you, Supreme Leader,” Kylo gestured to the dancefloor.

Poe and Jessika had everyone pair off to practice the _basico_ , Kylo manning the music, as usual. Hiding behind his laptop, Kylo watched as Rey and Finn started off dancing together, smoothly completing one _basico_ after another. The two moved seamlessly, and Finn got a few giggles out of Rey as they traveled around the room together.

A flare of jealousy took Kylo by surprise. He wanted to be the source of her laughter as they danced. He watched as Finn murmured something in her ear, Rey’s head tilted back, her eyes squeezed shut as yet another startled laugh spilled from her lips.

Kylo found that he was causing his jaw to ache, his teeth were clenched so tightly. _Stop it_ , he told himself furiously. _You are not a Neanderthal. She is not your property._ He exhaled forcefully, making himself take long, deep breaths.

The song finally came to an end.

“Alright, I want leaders over toward me, followers to Jessika, please,” Poe called out. Kylo lowered the volume.

Jessika had the followers spread out along one side of the room, their hands on the wall, practicing front _ochos_. Kylo watched as they pivoted their hips to face the left while their torso faced the wall, bringing their right foot forward. They then stepped forward to bring their feet together, and pivoted their hips to face the right side of the room, and stepped forward with their left foot. When completed in a sequence, their feet would make a figure eight, an “ocho”.

The leaders, meanwhile, had their arms held up around an invisible partner, twisting their torso back and forth as they stepped from side to side with the movement.

Kylo watched Rey as she completed her _ochos_ , then reversed directions to practice back _ochos_. Her movements were jerky with the occasional wobble, but after a few encouraging words from Jessika, she nodded, and her movements settled out slightly, her heels staying together during the pivot. Her shirt clung slightly to the small of her back and her hips with each turn, the contrast of her white shirt and black leggings drawing Kylo’s gaze to the curve of her ass.

“Not bad,” Poe said, startling Kylo – he seemed to have appeared out of thin air. “Rey’s a fast learner.”

Kylo gave a non-committal grunt, arms folded over his chest tightly.

Poe reached across Kylo and clicked a song on the playlist. “Your time to shine, Chiquito,” Poe said with a flash of teeth as the dreaded pop tanda started.

To the room, Poe announced, “Find a partner!”

Kylo took a shaky breath before he stood up from his seat, Justin Timberlake accompanying his approach. He shot a glare at his roommate before tapping Rey lightly on the shoulder. She looked up quickly, hazel eyes wide, lips slightly parted.

 _Beautiful_ , he thought.

“Will you dance with me?” Kylo asked above the pounding of his heart.

Rey bit her lip, white teeth turning her bottom lip briefly pale before she nodded. “Yeah,” she said quickly. Kylo felt slightly reassured that she seemed just as nervous as he felt.

His hand rested on the small of her back as he led her to the dancefloor.

“I’m not sure I’m doing the _ocho_ right,” she said, turning to him, her brow furrowed in frustration.

Kylo’s fingers itched to smooth across her forehead. Instead he held her in an open embrace, palm settling on her shoulder blade, feeling the soft material of her shirt. “How so?”

She shrugged, averting her eyes. “It just feels weird. I feel off balance.”

He remembered learning how to do _ochos_ , and how awkward it was at first, knowing when to shift your weight to make a smooth transition. “We’ll do it slowly,” he said, adjusting his grip on her hand.

She took a deep breath, seeming to center herself. “Okay,” she said, nodding to herself with determination.

Holding Rey, Kylo shifted his weight side to side, waiting for her to copy him. “This is a _balanceo_ ,” he said. “It’s a way to tell that you and your partner are on the same foot.”

Once he felt that he and Rey were swaying in sync, he lifted his shoulders slightly, signaling that he was going to begin. Instantly, Rey moved with him.

Back, side, together, step, step, cross, forward, side, together, repeat.

Gradually she relaxed into his embrace with each _basico_ they completed, her movements seeming to gain more confidence.

“Are you ready to do an _ocho_?” he asked, once he felt that she was comfortable.

“Give me your worst,” she said resolutely.

Kylo chuckled, his lips quirking upward. “It’s after the cross. I’ll guide you.”

They navigated to _la cruzada_ , then Kylo raised his shoulders slightly and opening his chest, pivoted Rey smoothly to her right. She stepped forward, putting her heels together. He then pivoted her again, and she once more stepped forward, putting her heels together. He then completed the basico with the _salida_ , leading her to step back, side, and together.

“Does that feel okay?” he asked.

“I think I’m getting it,” she said with a relieved smile.

“Once more, then we’ll do a back _ocho_.”

Rey was a quick study. The second Kylo pivoted her into a front _ocho_ , she flowed into the turns. Pausing her after she stepped forward, Kylo guided her through a back _ocho_ , having her step backward before pivoting her again. They finished with a _salida_.

“ _Muy bien_ ,” he said, voice warmed with pride. “ _Buen trabajo_.”

Rey’s cheeks flushed at his compliment. “ _Gracias_ ,” she said quickly, her eyes sparkling.

Kylo laughed deeply, caught off guard. _This girl_ , he marveled. “Are you taking Spanish?”

“This semester, yeah.”

For some reason, he had pegged Rey as taking French or Latin, not Spanish. _Perhaps because of her accent_ , he thought.

Her enthusiasm buoyed him. “I’m skipping ahead a little since you’re doing so well,” he said. “I’m going to show you how to do _la parada_. It’s a version of an interrupted front _ocho_.”

He led her into the front _ocho_. When she was pivoted to the left, Kylo slid a foot between her insteps, blocking her from moving.

Rey stilled.

“To do _la parada_ , you have to step over my foot, then we finish with a _salida_.”

Hazel eyes met his. “Just step across it?”

A mischievous grin touched Kylo’s lips. “Or you could embellish it by dragging your foot,” he indicated her left foot, “up and down my leg, then stepping across.”

A look of disbelief crossed Rey’s face. “Seriously?”

Kylo hesitated. _Mierda. Stop being creepy, Solo_. “Only if you’re comfortable with it,” he said, losing confidence. “You can just step across, if you want. Or I could take you back to the cross, which would turn this into an _ocho cortado_.”

Rey studied him briefly, before taking the toe of her shoe and trailing it lightly up his calf and stepping delicately over his foot.

Embarrassment and relief flooded Kylo simultaneously as they finished out the _basico_. He hadn’t meant to sound so salacious. Embellishments were meant to be playful. But he could see how they could cross into uncomfortable territory, especially for new dancers.

 _You just had to mention that specific one, didn’t you,_ he chastised himself.

They completed a couple _basicos_ in awkward silence before he noticed that Rey was struggling. His lead was being met with resistance.

His arms were tense. A little too tense. He was drawing Rey’s own arms up tightly, pulling her off balance.

 _Stop_ , he told himself. He paused their dance.

Rey looked at him questioningly.

 _Breathe._ Closing his eyes and taking a breath, he released his hold on Rey, bringing his arm out before gathering her back in his arms, resetting their stance more comfortably. He took a deep breath before opening his eyes again, meeting her gaze with a new resolve.

 _Dance._ He swayed to one side, and Rey swayed with him. He began a _basico_.

“Sorry,” he said, mentally preparing himself that this might be his last dance with Rey for a while. “I didn’t mean to come off so rude.”

Step, cross, _ocho_ , _salida._

“You weren’t rude,” she said after a moment. “I just wanted to make sure that I was doing it correctly.”

“You did,” he said resolutely. “Perfectly, in fact.”

“Yeah?”

Kylo hummed reassuringly. “You catch on fast. That’s rare for a novice dancer.”

Rey smiled to herself, pleased. “Thanks,” she said.

He didn’t push his luck until the second song of the tanda.

“There’s other embellishments you can do for _la parada_ ,” he said, stopping them outside the dancefloor to demonstrate. He slid her right foot forward and switched their arm positions so that he was the follower. “You can tap your foot before stepping over,” he said, tapping his toe to the beat of the song. “You could do a cross,” he said, bringing his left ankle across his right, then swinging his leg forward to step over. “Or you could do this,” he said, drawing small, overlapping circles on the ground with the toe of his shoe. He crossed and stepped over her foot. “Or any combination. Or, nothing at all, and make the leader wait. It’s your choice.” Kylo looked Rey in the eye, his honey-brown gaze intense. “You do have a say in this,” he said quietly. “I can lead you to a _parada_ , but it’s up to you how you want to respond. I want you to be comfortable with your choice of embellishments. This is your dance, too, just as much as it is mine.”

Rey just looked at him curiously. “I… okay?”

“I don’t want to scare you away from tango,” he said. “Some people see some of the moves as controlling, that you have to passively do everything the leader wants you to do. And there are people who exploit that. But I want you to know that you have options.” Even as he said that, he had a feeling that Rey could probably handle herself.

Understanding dawned on her face. “You thought you made me uncomfortable earlier,” she said.

He blinked. “You mean I didn’t make you uncomfortable?”

“Alright, maybe a little,” she laughed. “But not because of what you told me to do. It was me imagining having to do that to every single leader who does a _parada_. That’s what made me uncomfortable.”

He felt the tension leave his shoulders. “That’s a relief,” he said with a half-smile.

They entered line of dance. _Should I try again?_ he wondered as they made their way around the room. He decided that he would with the next set of _ochos_. Kylo's pulse accelerated as he led Rey into an _ocho_. She pivoted smoothly to the right, then to the left. He slid his foot in between hers, heart racing as he anticipated her next move.

Rey locked eyes with Kylo. This time, Rey slowly stroked the front of her foot up and down his calf a couple times before stepping over his foot.

Her touch felt electric. Kylo drew a shuddering breath, shocked by how she affected him.

Hearing it, Rey glanced at him, a smirk tugging her lips.

 _Oh no,_ he thought mournfully as they finished with a _salida_. _I just opened Pandora’s Box._

 _Basico_ , cross, front _ocho, salida_. Back _ocho_ , _salida_. _Basico, cruzada_ , front _ocho, parada, salida._

They drifted closer to each other with each turn, two stars caught in a gravitational pull. By the third song, Kylo and Rey were in a close embrace.

“We’re at the end of the tanda,” Kylo murmured against Rey’s hair. She smelled like citrus, bright and sweet. It reminded him of the fresh grapefruit he would buy at the market near their house in Buenos Aires.

“That’s a shame,” she replied softly against his chest. They came to a stop, the song ending.

Another couple bypassed them; Kylo started. He had completely forgotten that they weren’t alone. He led Rey to the side of the dancefloor, reluctantly releasing her hand. Her cheeks were flushed, a dusting of freckles hidden among the bloom of color.

“Thank you for the dance, Kylo,” she said, her beautiful cupid’s bow smile on full display.

He wanted so badly to tuck the escaped strands of chestnut hair behind her ear. “Thank you for accepting.” He hesitated for a second, feeling compelled to encourage her. “You’re a natural dancer, Rey.”

Her mouth opened in surprise.

“No, truly, you are,” he said earnestly. “You learn quickly, and you’re a very responsive follower.” He looked over at Finn, who had been dancing with Kaydel. Kylo really shouldn’t have been holding Rey so closely. “Your boyfriend is missing out when he doesn’t dance with you.”

She looked over at Finn, then up at him through her lashes. “I don’t have a boyfriend.”

Something in Kylo’s chest rejoiced. He struggled to keep his face carefully neutral. “Oh.” He swallowed. “That’s good to know,” he said, his voice above a whisper.

Rey laughed softly, pulling a grin from Kylo. “Don’t be afraid to ask me to dance with you,” she said. “I’ll probably always say yes.”

He watched her walk away, shirt clinging tantalizingly over her pert bottom.

Poe came up next to him. “I guess that was an okay tanda choice,” he said, nonchalant. “I’ll keep you as a DJ for now.”

“Okay,” Kylo echoed absently. _She’s single. And maybe interested._ He shook his head in disbelief.

Poe wrapped his arm around Kylo’s shoulders. “You look like you had fun.”

He really did. He hadn’t felt that connected to a partner in a long time.

“And it looks like she did, too,” Poe continued.

His eyes flicked to his friend. “¿ _Sí, verdad_?”

The curly-haired man nodded. “ _De verdad_.”

Kylo sighed. “I hope so,” he said to himself as Poe gathered the class once more.

He looked back toward Rey when he saw a flash of lilac from the corner of his eye. Amilyn Holdo sat in one of the chairs circling the dancefloor. She gave him a wink, wearing a small grin.

He groaned mentally. He had a sinking feeling that he was going to get a phone call from his mother tomorrow, asking about him dancing with a certain brunette.

 But if he were completely honest with himself, he thought as he settled behind his laptop again, he didn’t mind Amilyn spying on him for Leia. He would gladly dance with Rey again, no matter who was watching.

After the meeting, as he packed up his cords, Rey said something to Finn before she walked back over to him.

“ _Buenas noches,_ Kylo,” she said lightly. She played with her thumb, grasping it between her other thumb and index finger.

“ _Buenas noches,_ Rey,” he repeated, zipping up his bag. “See you next Thursday?” he asked, trying not to sound too hopeful.

She worried her lip. “I’ll do my best,” she replied with a shrug. “I have an exam next Friday.”

Right. School. The whole reason everyone was together on this campus. “Good luck with your exam,” he said, keeping his tone professional to hide his disappointment. “I’m sure you’ll do just fine.”

“I certainly hope so,” she said with a laugh. “I’m glad that you have confidence in me.”

She began to walk away. A kernel of doubt lodged in his chest, watching her leave. What if she doesn’t come back? What if school demands all of her free time?

“Listen, Rey,” he blurted.

She turned toward him, a brow raised.

“I don’t know anything about engineering or physics, but if there’s anything I can do to help, please let me know.”

She smiled widely, biting her lip to lessen the effect. “Okay,” she replied. “I’ll do that.” As she walked away, Kylo noticed a slight bounce in her step.

“You definitely don’t know anything about physics,” Poe said to him as Rey and Finn departed, appearing beside him.

Kylo whirled to face him, ears heated. “How did you even hear that?” he asked, incredulous.

Poe lightly punched him in the shoulder. “You, _mi amigo_ , have it bad. Like, Pepé le Pew bad.”

He scoffed. “Come off it, I’m not that obvious,” he bristled, shouldering his bag irritatedly.

“You just willingly offered to help someone with something involving complex mathematics,” Poe said slowly. “When is the last time you willingly did anything dealing with calculus?”

He refused to justify him with an answer. Because he had a point. The closest thing to calculus that Kylo has done is statistical models for various demographics. Which is completely unrelated to calculus.

Instead, Kylo marched over to the light switch, shutting them off with Poe still trapped inside the conference room.

Checking his phone later that night before bed, Kylo groaned to himself.

He was wrong.

**Mom | 22:30**

**What’s this about you dancing with a girl?**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dios mio / my god
> 
> Nos vemos / See you soon (used if the timeframe is within a few hours)
> 
> Buenas / short for buenos días (good morning), buenas tardes (good afternoon, good evening), buenas noches (good evening). Here though, Poe reverted to Spanish because he was startled, before he corrected himself.
> 
> Por qué / why
> 
> Suave (SUA-veh) / smooth
> 
> Que rompebolas / “You’re annoying”
> 
> Muy bien / very good
> 
> Buen trabajo (tra-BA-ho) / good job
> 
> Gracias / thank you
> 
> Mierda / shit
> 
> ¿Sí, verdad? / “Really?”
> 
> De verdad / for real
> 
> Buenas noches / good night
> 
> Mi amigo / my friend
> 
>  
> 
> I'm not kidding when I say that ballroom tango, especially competition ballroom tango, is completely different from traditional Argentine tango. Here's a video of [professional Argentine tango dancers](https://youtu.be/sjRh64FrmOQ) verses one for [Dancing With The Stars](https://youtu.be/cDLuGAtWlo4). Y'all. I just can't even.
> 
> And if you were curious, here's how to do the [eight step basic (basico)](https://youtu.be/wvewX55VADs), [front ocho](https://youtu.be/y_87AEw7sXs), [back ocho](https://youtu.be/EVcn8N-YxtI), [la parada](https://youtu.be/FyuvHEA3i74), [ocho cortado](https://youtu.be/uE6_kwnfDCQ), and [salida](https://youtu.be/ty77oMI-kIY). And here's one for [leader embellishments](https://youtu.be/SXMnr3HYhu8) and [ follower embellishments](https://youtu.be/cM4c7C2SbBo).


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